LIBRARY 

OF  THK 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

GIRT  OK 


Received  ,  190 

Accession  No.       #2548   .    class  No. 


MANUAL  OF  INSTRUCTION 


IN 


ORDNANCE  AND  GUNNERY 


FOR   THE 


U.  S.  NAVAL  TRAINING  SERVICE. 


UNIVERSITY 
CALIFO* 


WASHINGTON  : 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 
1900. 


DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  NAVY, 

BUREAU  OF  NAVIGATION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C. ,  October  30,  1900. 

This  text-book,  arranged  for  publication  under  the  direction 
of  Commander  J.  J.  Hunker,  Commandant  of  the  U.  S. 
Naval  Training  Station,  Newport,  R.  L,  by  Lieutenant  C.  L. 
Hussey,  U.  S.  Navy,  and  Lieutenant  R.  H.  Osborn,  U.  S. 
Navy,  is  approved,  and  its  use  at  U.  S.  Naval  Training  Sta- 
tions, on  board  U.  S.  Training  Ships,  and  on  board  such  other 
United  States  vessels  as  it  maybe  found  useful,  is  authorized. 

A.  S.  CROWNINSHIELD, 

Chief  of  Bureau. 


(3) 


82548 


DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  NAVY, 

BUREAU  OF  NAVIGATION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C. ,  October  30,  1900. 

This  text-book,  arranged  for  publication  under  the  direction 
of  Commander  J.  J.  Hunker,  Commandant  of  the  U.  S. 
Naval  Training  Station,  Newport,  R.  L,  by  Lieutenant  C.  L. 
Hussey,  U.  S.  Navy,  and  Lieutenant  R.  H.  Osborn,  U.  S. 
Navy,  is  approved,  and  its  use  at  U.  S.  Naval  Training  Sta- 
tions, on  board  U.  S.  Training  Ships,  and  on  board  such  other 
United  States  vessels  as  it  may  be  found  useful,  is  authorized. 

A.  S.  CROWNINSHIELD, 

Chief  of  Bureau. 


(3) 


82548 


TTWIVERSITT 


MANUAL 


INSTRUCTION  IN  ORDNANCE  AND  GUNNERY. 


GENERAL  INSTRUCTIONS. 

Gunnery  Instructors  must  carefully  familiarize  themselves 
with  the  following  details,  which  have  been  prepared  with 
the  view  of  obtaining  uniformity  and  thoroughness  in  the 
course  of  instruction  of  apprentices  in  gunnery.  These  details 
must  be  carried  out  in  every  particular  as  laid  down,  and, 
when  this  is  impracticable,  or  there  is  doubt  as  to  the  mean 
ing  of  any  part  of  them,  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  gunnery 
branch  should  be  consulted  immediately.  During  drill 
periods,  when  not  detailed  for  other  duty,  it  is  expected  that 
the  instructors  will  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  for 
perfecting  themselves  in  the  various  drills  and  exercises. 

The  Number  of  Apprentices  assigned  to  one  instructor  must 
be  as  small  as  practicable,  and,  if  possible,  should  not  exceed 
twenty-five.  When  general  instruction  is  given  to  a  whole 
class  all  the  instructors  must  be  present  to  assist  as  may  be 
necessary,  unless  excused  from  this  duty  by  the  officer  in 
charge  of  the  gunnery  department. 

Preparation. — Before  the  drill  call  is  sounded  instructors 
should  see  that  such  material  as  may  be  needed  for  the  in- 
struction or  drill  is  provided  or  ready  for  use. 

Arms  and  Ammunition. — Apprentices  should  not  be  per 
mitted  to  use  any  part  of  the  ordnance  outfit  until  they  have 
been  instructed  in  the  care  and  handling  of  the  same, 

(6) 


especially  as  to  such  parts  as  are  easily  broken,  or  the  manipu- 
lation or  use  of  which  is  attended  with  danger.  Apprentices 
must  not  be  allowed  to  handle  arms  and  ammunition  except 
in  the  presence  of  an  instructor  or  a  gunner's  mate.  At  the 
end  of  a  period,  all  ammunition  is  to  be  returned  to  the 
armory  together  with  an  account  of  the  amount  expended. 
It  is  to  be  impressed  upon  the  apprentices  that  the  breaking 
or  loss  of  parts  of  ordnance,  especially  in  the  case  of  small 
arms,  occurs  even  when  the  greatest  care  is  taken,  and  that 
they  must  report  the  fact  as  soon  as  it  comes  to  their  notice. 
At  the  end  of  the  period  the  instructor  will  inspect  such  parts 
of  the  ordnance  outfit  as  have  been  used  and  see  that  they  are 
returned  to  their  proper  places  before  he  dismisses  the  appren- 
tices under  his  charge. 

The  Arrangement  of  a  Class  for  instruction  should  be  such 
that  all  may  see  and  hear  what  is  being  explained.  The 
various  divisions  of  a  class  should  be  separated  sufficiently  so 
as  not  to  interfere  with  one  another.  The  crowding  around 
the  instructor  by  a  few  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  remainder 
of  a  class  should  not  be  permitted. 

Periods. — It  is  expected  that  only  about  one  half  of  the  time 
in  a  period  will  be  required  for  the  instruction  as  laid  down. 
An  opportunity  should  then  be  given  apprentices  to  ask  ques- 
tions relating  to  the  instruction  just  given.  The  remainder 
of  the  period  is  to  be  devoted  to  asking  the  apprentices  in 
turn  such  questions  at  will  bring  out  and  impress  upon  their 
minds  the  more  important  points  of  the  day's  instruction. 
Apprentices  are  to  be  encouraged  to  ask  questions  both  during 
and  outside  of  periods. 

Blackboards  are  to  be  used  whenever  practicable,  to  illus 
trate  the  instruction. 

Instructors  should  preserve  order  and  report  all  cases  of 
inaptitude,  inattention,  or  misconduct  during  their  periods 
of  instruction.  Apprentices  creating  a  serious  disturbance 
should  be  sent  at  once  to  the  office  of  the  officer  of  the  day,  and 
a  report  of  the  details  of  the  case  should  be  made  at  the  end 
of  the  period.  Apprentices  showing  special  aptitude  or  zeal 
in  gunnery  should  be  so  reported  for  favorable  consideration 
when  promotions  are  about  to  be  made. 


When  practicable,  make  use  of  the  apprentices  showing 
special  aptitude  by  having  them  assist  in  the  instruction  of 
the  more  backward  in  the  same  class. 

This  book  of  instructions  should  be  kept  at  hand  where 
reference  to  it  can  easily  be  made. 

Instructors  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  interest  and  zeal 
which  they  themselves  show  at  drills  and  instruction  has  the 
greatest  influence  in  arousing  and  maintaining  interest  among 
the  apprentices.  While  the  health  and  contentment  of  the 
apprentices  are  the  first  consideration,  it  is  necessary  to  have 
them  become  interested  before  the  results  of  the  instruction 
given  will  be  of  much  value. 


No.  1. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  ORDNANCE. 


Preparation.— Provide  a  blackboard,  a  breechblock  of 
1-pounder  Hotchkiss  R.  F.  G.,  a  cartridge  for  4-inch  R.  F.  G., 
a  blue  print  of  a  B.  L.  R.,  and  a  field  gun.  Refer  to  these  in 
the  way  of  explanation  whenever  practicable  during  instruc- 
tion. Read  pages  27  and  37,  " Ingersoll's  Gunnery,"  1894. 

Instruction.— The  whole  object  of  a  navy  is  to  shoot  guns 
if  occasion  demands  it.  Naval  Gunnery  deals  with  the 
proper  care  and  handling  of  such  guns  as  are  found  on  board 
men-of-war,  so  that  when  it  becomes  necessary  to  use  them  in 
battle  the  greatest  number  of  well-aimed  shots  may  be  fired 
in  the  least  possible  time.  In  order  to  learn  gunnery  it  is 
necessary  to  know  something  about  ordnance,  which  is  the 
general  term  applied  to  all  the  fighting  material.  A  study  of 
ordnance  would  include  the  designing  and  construction  of 
guns,  with  their  mounts,  ammunition,  and  tools  for  working 
them.  For  the  present  it  is  intended  to  teach  such  parts  of 
ordnance  as  will  make  gunnery  easier  to  learn.  First  of  all 
it  becomes  necessary  to  learn  the  correct  names  of  the  princi- 
pal parts  of  the  ordnance  outfit,  so  that  the  instruction  which 
follows  may  be  understood. 

A  Gun  is  a  machine  intended  to  throw  projectiles  long  dis- 
tances with  great  accuracy.  Various  means  have  been  used 
to  obtain  the  great  force  required  to  do  this,  such  as  compressed 
air  in  the  pneumatic  guns  on  board  the  Vesuvius,  but  unless 
mention  is  made  of  something  else,  a  gun  is  considered  to  use 
charges  of  powder.  Piece  has  the  same  meaning  as  gun. 
Point  out  or  explain  the  following  terms:  Breech,  muzzle, 
bore,  chase,  trunnions,  smoothbore,  and  rifling. 


10 

The  Caliber  of  a  gun  is  the  diameter  of  the  bore.  With 
ordinary  rifling  the  diameter  is  measured  across  the  lands; 
with  rib  rifling,  from  the  bottom  of  the  grooves. 

The  Length  of  guns  is  usually  expressed  in  calibers.  Thus 
a  6-inch  gun  of  40  calibers,  would  mean  that  the  length  of  the 
gun  is  40  times  the  caliber  of  the  bore — 6  inches— which  is  20 
feet. 

The  Main  Battery  on  board  ship  consists  of  all  guns  of 
4-inch  and  greater  caliber.  The  secondary  battery  consists 
of  all  R.  F.  G.  smaller  than  the  4-inch,  and  all  automatic  and 
machine  guns. 

Steel  B.  L.  It's. — All  modern  guns  are  steel  B.  L.  R's,  so 
called  because  the  loading  is  done  from  the  breech,  and  the 
bore  is  rifled  to  cause  the  projectile  to  rotate.  Cast-iron, 
wrought-iron,  and  bronze  guns  were  much  used  in  the  past, 
but  steel,  as  now  made,  is  the  best  material  for  gun  construc- 
tion. With  the  B.  L.  R.  it  is  necessary  to  have  some  efficient 
means  of  securely  closing  the  breech  to  prevent  the  escape  of 
gas  from  the  burning  powder  to  the  rear.  Many  different 
breech  mechanisms  have  been  invented  for  this  purpose.  The 
interrupted-screw  breech  plug,  fitted  with  De  Bange  gas  check 
is  used  in  all  B.  L.  R's  of  6-inch  caliber  and  above.  In  loading 
B.  L.  R's  the  projectile,  powder  charge,  and  primer  are  in- 
serted separately. 

In  Fixed  Ammunition  the  projectile,  powder  charge,  and 
primer  or  cap  are  combined,  by  means  of  a  brass  case,  so  that 
only  one  operation  is  required  in  loading. 

A  Rapid-fire  Gun  is  a  gun  having  but  one  barrel  and  having 
the  powder  charge  put  up  in  a  copper  case.  The  smallest 
R.  F.  G.  is  the  1- pounder,  the  largest  used  on  board  United 
States  ships  is  of  6-inch  caliber.  There  are  various  kinds  of 
R.  F.  G.  breech  mechanisms,  known  by  the  name  of  their 
inventors.  The  ones  in  use  in  the  U.  S.  Navy  are  the  Hotch- 
kiss,  Driggs-Schroeder,  Fletcher,  Dashiell,  Maxim -Nordenfelt, 
and  Vickers.  All  of  these  breech  mechanisms  are  such  as  to 
permit  of  quicker  loading  and  more  rapid  firing  than  is  possi- 
ble with  the  ordinary  B.  L.  R. 

Machine  Guns  are  guns  which  have  one  or  more  barrels, 
which  use  fixed  ammunition,  and  in  which  the  loading  of 
the  gun,  the  firing,  and  the  ejection  of  the  empty  cartridge 


11 

cases  are  done  by  machinery.  The  37 -millimeter  Hotchkiss 
revolving  cannon  is  a  type  of  machine  gun  in  which  the  mech- 
anism is  operated  by  means  of  a  crank.  All  the  latest  ma- 
chine guns  are  automatic— that  is,  the  force  derived  from  the 
recoil  of  the  gun  or  from  the  powder  gases  is  made  use  of  to 
operate  the  mechanism.  The  Colt  and  the  Maxim-Norden- 
felt  1 -pounder  are  types  of  automatic  machine  guns. 

Field  Guns  are  R.  F.  G's  of  special  design,  mounted  on 
field  carriages  for  use  on  shore.  On  board  every  man-of-war 
there  are  one  or  more  guns  of  this  type  for  use  with  landing 
parties.  Machine  guns  are  also  used  for  this  purpose. 

Boat  Guns. — The  short  1 -pounder  R.  F.  G.,  and  light  ma- 
chine guns,  are  mounted  temporarily  on  a  pedestal  in  the 
bows  of  steam  launches  and  the  larger  pulling  boats  carried 
by  naval  vessels.  When  so  mounted  they  are  termed  boat 
guns. 

Small  Arms. — The  shoulder  rifle  and  revolver  are  known 
as  small  arms ;  the  ammunition  they  use  is  called  small-arm 
ammunition ;  and  the  firing  is  termed  small-arm  target  prac- 
tice. 

Guns  are  classed  according  to  the  mechanism  and  caliber 
or  weight  of  projectile.  Thus  there  are  6-inch  B.  L.  R. ,  6-inch 
R.  F.  G.,  and  6-millimeter  rifle,  and  1 -pounder  Maxiin-Nord- 
enf  elt  automatic  machine  gun. 

The  mechanism  of  any  gun  will  seem  more  simple  and 
be  easier  to  learn  if  one  first  looks  for  the  four  essential 
parts  which  correspond  to  the  trigger,  sear,  main  spring,  and 
hammer  of  the  1 -pounder  Hotchkiss  R.  F.  G.  The  instructor 
will  show  the  function  of  each  of  these  four  parts,  using  the 
breechblock  and  the  blackboard  for  the  purpose. 

Gun  mounts,  ammunition,  torpedoes,  submarine  mines,  and 
armor  also  come  under  the  head  of  ordnance. 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  Define  ordnance,  gunnery,  gun,  piece. 

2.  Point  out  the  breech,  muzzle,  bore,  chase,  and  trunnions. 

3.  Define  caliber.     What  is  rifling? 

4.  How  is  the  length  of  guns  usually  expressed? 

5.  What  guns  constitute  the  main  battery?    The  secondary 

battery? 


12 

6.  What  are  all  modem  guns?    Why  so  called? 

7.  What  are  the  three  parts  of  the  ammunition  used  in 

B.  L.  R.? 

8.  What  is  fixed  ammunition? 

9.  What  is  a  R.  F.  G.  ?    The  smallest  R.  F.  G.  ?    The  largest 

R.  F.  a? 

10.  What  is  a  machine  gun?    An  automatic  gun? 

11.  What  are  field  guns?    Boat  guns? 

12.  What  are  termed  small  arms? 

13.  Explain  the  following  terms:   6-inch  B.  L.  R.,  6-inch  R. 

F.  G.,  6-pounder  R.  F.  G.,  and  6-millimeter  rifle. 


No.  3. 

CARE  IN  HANDLING  ARMS  AND  AMMUNITION— CARE  OP 
ORDNANCE  OUTFIT. 


Preparation. — Read  "Navy  Regulations"  (1896),  Articles 
378,  par.  8  and  13;  386,  422,  520,  and  774;  "Radford's  Gun- 
nery "  (1898) ,  pages  186  to  190 ;  and  "Gun  and  Torpedo  Drills  " 
(1900).  Use  a  R.  F.  G.,  the  4-inch  if  practicable,  to  illus- 
trate the  parts  of  the  gun  and  mount  mentioned  in  the 
instruction. 

Instruction.— Before  being  issued  to  the  service,  the  guns 
and  samples  of  ammunition  are  thoroughly  tested  at  the 
proving  grounds,  and  all  parts  of  the  ordnance  outfit  are 
most  carefully  inspected.  Accidents  that  result  from  the  use 
of  guns  and  in  the  handling  of  ammunition  are  generally  due 
to  ignorance  or  carelessness.  Without  proper  care  the  guns 
and  ammunition  deteriorates,  the  mechanism  will  work  badly, 
and  the  efficiency  of  the  battery  is  impaired.  The  instruction 
which  follows  is  to  impress  upon  apprentices  the  importance 
of  taking  every  precaution  to  prevent  accidents  and  to  insure 
the  efficiency  of  the  ordnance  outfit.  Even  with  the  best  of 
care  parts  of  ordnance  will  get  out  of  order,  be  broken  or 
lost;  this  fact  should  be  reported  immediately  to  the  divi- 
sional officer  or  officer  of  the  deck. 

Care  of  the  Guns  and  Mounts. — The  frequency  and  charac- 
ter of  the  cleaning  necessary  to  keep  the  main  and  secondary 
batteries  in  prime  condition  depends  upon  the  nature  of  the 
climate  and  the  duty  the  ship  is  performing.  Instructors  will 
give  the  substance  in  "Gun  and  Torpedo  Drills''  (1900), 
adding  that,  while  this  is  the  amount  of  cleaning  that  the 
average  ship  requires,  bad  weather  and  other  conditions  may 
make  it  necessary  to  do  a  great  deal  more.  The  soft  steel 
of  which  guns  are  made  is  easily  scored  or  burred ;  only  oil, 
vaseline,  and  cotton  waste  or  soft  rags  should  be  used  in 


14 


cleaning  the  mechanism.  All  hammering  should  be  done 
with  copper  mauls.  Emery,  brick  dust,  and  gritty  sub- 
stances are  not  to  be  used  on  any  part  of  the  mechanism 
except  by  trained  men  to  remove  rust  when  ordered  to  do  so. 
Brass  sights  are  to  be  kept  clean,  but  should  not  be  polished,  as 
by  so  doing  the  marks  are  made  less  distinct.  In  every  case 
of  cleaning,  fine  appearance  should  be  sacrificed  to  efficiency. 
In  using  oil  and  vaseline  light  coats  should  be  frequently 
applied,  the  previous  coats  being  carefully  wiped  off.  White 
lead  and  tallow  or  a  heavy  coating  of  vaseline  is  used  on  guns 
and  mounts  when  preparing  for  a  rough  trip  at  sea,  or  when 
circumstances  prevent  the  usual  amount  of  cleaning.  No 
part  of  the  ordnance  outfit  should  be  used  for  other  purposes 
than  that  for  which  it  was  intended.  Hanging  clothes  about 
the  guns,  stowing  articles  away  under  the  gun  mounts,  and 
sitting  on  the  guns  or  gun  carriages  are  not  permitted. 

Handling  Ammunition. — Instructors  will  explain  the  pro- 
visions for  the  care  and  handling  of  ammunition  made  by  the 
articles  of  the  Navy  Regiilations  referred  to  under  "Prepara- 
tion. "  Ammunition  should  not  be  handled  unless  orders  are 
given  to  do  so.  Stray  ammunition  should  be  turned  into  the 
armory  at  once.  Tampering  with  ammunition,  and  especially 
attempting  to  separate  the  parts  of  fixed  ammunition  is  very 
dangerous.  At  general  quarters  ammunition  that  seems 
faulty  should  be  laid  aside  and  the  fact  reported  when 
opportunity  occurs.  Frequently  it  will  be  found  that  the 
fixed  ammunition  sticks  in  loading ;  when  this  happens  wipe 
the  cartridge  cases,  sponge  the  chamber  of  the  gun,  and  push 
the  cartridge  home  smartly.  When  fixed  ammunition  or  a 
shell  is  dropped  a  considerable  distance,  the  fact  must  be 
reported  immediately,  as  the  shock  may  arm  the  fuze  and 
make  the  ammunition  dangerous  to  use.  Care  should  be 
taken  not  to  bruise  cartridge  cases,  as  a  dent  frequently 
causes  a  jam  in  loading.  In  fixed  ammunition  the  exposed 
cap  is  a  source  of  danger ;  the  greatest  care  should  be  taken 
that  the  cap  of  one  shell  is  not  struck  by  the  point  of  another. 
When  using  blank  cartridges  in  firing  R.  F.  G.  the  empty 
cases  should  never  be  returned  to  a  box  containing  charges ; 
loose  powder  in  the  bottom  of  the  box  has  sometimes  been 
ignited  with  disastrous  results. 


15 

When  ammunition  is  being  taken  on  board  or  discharged 
from  a  ship,  all  unauthorized  lights  and  fires  are  extinguished, 
and  a  red  flag  is  hoisted  at  the  fore  as  a  warning  to  other 
vessels.  The  ammunition  must  be  handled  so  as  not  to  dent 
the  powder  tanks  or  injure  the  charges;  the  soft  copper 
rotating  bands  on  the  projectiles  are  easily  bruised ;  for  this 
reason  mats  and  swabs  should  be  used  to  prevent  the  am- 
munition striking  the  deck  or  hatch  coamings.  In  case  the 
ammunition  becomes  dirty  it  must  be  cleaned  before  being 
stowed  below. 

Detonators  and  dry  primers  are  especially  dangerous. 
They  are  stowed  above  decks  or  in  large  compartments  as 
far  as  practicable  from  the  magazines. 

Handling  Small  Arms.  — Whenever  taking  a  rifle  or 
revolver  inspect  it  immediately  to  see  whether  it  is  loaded 
or  not.  Even  though  they  are  unloaded,  always  treat  small 
arms  as  if  they  were  loaded,  so  that  careful  handling  may 
become  a  habit.  Never  lay  down  a  loaded  rifle  or  revolver ; 
either  unload  it  or  keep  it  in  hand.  The  sights  of  the  Navy 
rifle  are  easily  broken,  and  the  rifle  should  not  be  leaned 
against  a  wall,  bulkhead,  or  rail ;  in  case  no  racks  are  at  hand 
lay  the  rifle  flat  on  floor,  deck,  ground,  or  across  thwarts  of  a 
boat.  The  bolt  stop  must  be  kept  in  its  top  position  to  pre- 
vent the  bolt  from  coming  out  Never  carry  the  rifle  loaded, 
except  in  times  of  great  danger ;  load  just  before  firing. 

QUESTION^. 

1.  What  are  done  with  guns  before  they  are  placed  on  board 

ship? 

2.  How  often  should  the  breech  mechanism  of  B.  L.  R.  and 

R.  F.  G.  be  cleaned  ? 

3.  How  often  should  the  gun  mounts  receive  a  general  over- 

hauling ? 

4.  What  attention  should  be  given  daily  to  recoil  cylinders  ? 

What  before  every  firing  ? 

5.  After  firing  what  cleaning  of  the  gun  is  necessary  ? 

6.  How  often  should  tompions  be  withdrawn  from  guns  ? 

7.  What  materials  should  be  used  in  cleaning  breech  mechan- 

isms V 


16 

8.  When  and  by  whom,  should  emory,  brick  dust,  and  gritty 

substances  be  used  ? 

9.  When  is  a  mixture  of  white  lead  and  tallow  used  in  coat- 

ing a  gun  ? 

10.  At  General  Quarters  what  should  be  done  with  ammu- 

nition found  to  be  faulty  ? 

11.  What  steps  should  be  taken  when  fixed  ammunition  sticks 

in  loading  ? 

12.  What  should  be  done  in  case  fuzed  shell  or  fixed  ammu- 

nition is  dropped  5  feet  or  more  ? 

13.  What  does  the  red  flag  hoisted  at  the  fore  signify  ? 

14.  What  should  be  used  on  deck  and  about  hatch-coamings 

to  prevent  injuring  the  ammunition  ? 

15.  Where  are  detonators  and  dry  primers  stowed  ? 

16.  What  should  be  done  immediately  upon  taking  a  rifle  or 

revolver  ? 

17.  How  should  small  arms  always  be  treated  ?  (as  if  loaded). 

18.  If  no  racks  are  at  hand,  how  dispose  of  rifle  ? 


No.  3. 

NAVY  RIFLE-MECHANISM. 


Preparation. — Read  "Description  and  Nomenclature  of  the 
U.  S.  Navy  Rifle,"  pages  1  to  10,  and  the  description  of  the 
manipulation  of  the  rifle,  pages  13  to  16. 

Instructor  to  provide  himself  with  a  rifle,  all  its  attach- 
ments, viz:  bayonet,  belt,  sling;  two  clips  of  dummy  cart 
ridges,  and  cleaning  cord,  with  a  piece  of  serge  H  inches 
square  for  cleaner,  in  recess  in  butt ;  also  a  rifle  with  stock 
removed.  If  practicable,  apprentices  will  provide  themselves 
with  rifles. 

Name,  Caliber,  and  Weight. — The  rifle,  now  in  general  use 
in  the  U.  S.  Navy,  is  known  as  the  "Lee  Straight  Pull" — 
so  called  from  the  name  of  its  inventor  and  the  action  of  the 
breech  mechanism,  which  is  opened  by  drawing  the  bolt 
straight  to  the  rear.  The  caliber  (diameter  of  the  bore)  is 
6  millimeters  (0.236  of  an  inch).  Its  weight  is  8£  pounds  with 
bayonet  unfixed  and  without  sling.  The  sling  weighs  ±  pound 
and  the  bayonet  f  pound. 

Krag-Jorgensen. — On  account  of  having  a  uniform  caliber 
rifle  for  both  the  Army  and  Navy,  the  Krag-Jorgensen,  which 
was  adopted  by  the  Army  a  few  years  ago  is  now  being  intro- 
duced into  the  Navy,  and  no  more  Lee  Straight  Pull  will  be 
made.  The  Krag-Jorgensen  rifle  has  an  entirely  different 
mechanism  from  the  Lee  Straight  Pull,  and  its  caliber  is  0.30 
of  an  inch  instead  of  6  millimeters. 

Nine  Principal  Parts  of  the  Lee  Straight  Pull. — The  prin- 
cipal parts  of  the  Navy  rifle  are : 

(1)  Stock,  (2)  barrel,  (3)  receiver,  (4)  breech  mechanism, 
(5)  trigger  mechanism,  (6)  magazine  mechanism,  (7)  rear 
sight,  (8)  bayonet,  (9)  sling.  Point  to  each  as  named,  requir- 
ing apprentices  to  name  them  in  like  manner,  using  the  pieces 
they  may  have. 

8972—2  ( 17 ) 


18 

Nomenclature. — In  learning  the  mechanism  of  a  rifle  it  is 
necessary  to  know  the  names  of  the  parts  so  as  to  call  them 
by  their  proper  names.  Instructors  will  take  each  principal 
part,  name  what  it  consists  of  as  in  the  preceding  paragraph, 
then  explain  the  function  of  each  part  marked  with  *. 

1.  Stock. 

1.  Stock  proper.* 

2.  Barrel  cover.* 

3.  Upper  band  and  bayonet  lug. 

4.  Lower  band. 

5.  Stacking  swivel. 

6.  Sling  swivel. 

7.  Stock  swivel-base. 

8.  Butt-plate    slide,   button  and  cavity  for    cleaning 

gear— (Cleaning  gear  in  cavity). 

2.  Barrel. 

1.  Barrel.* 

(a)  Chamber.* 
(&)  Rifling.* 

2.  Front  sight  base. 

3.  Front  sight  tip  and  pin. 

4.  Front  sight  tip  guard. 

3.  Receiver. 

1.  Receiver,  (a)  recoil  shoulder. 

2.  Bolt  stop.* 

(a)  Thumb  piece. 

3.  Bolt  release.* 

4.  Firing  pin  lock.* 

5.  Lock  pin. 

4.  Breech  Mechanism. 

1.  Bolt.* 

2.  Firing  pin  and  collar.* 

3.  Main  spring.* 

4.  Cam  lever.* 

5.  Cam  lever  handle.* 

6.  Extractor  and  spring.* 

5.  Trigger  Mechanism. 

1.  Trigger*  and  spring. :: 

2.  Sear  and  spring. 

3.  Sear  fly. 


19 


6.  Magazine  Mechanism. 

1.  Trigger  guard. 

2.  Magazine. 

3.  Release  ways.  * 

4.  Elevator  arm.* 

5.  Elevator  spring. 

6.  Elevator  spring  shaft. 

7.  Follower  (stop  pin). 

8.  Follower  guides. 

9.  Clip  guide. 

7.  Bear  Sight. 

1.  Rear  sight  base. 

2.  Rear  sight  leaf  (notches). 
3    Leaf  spring. 

4.  Slide  (catch). 

8.  Bayonet. 

1.  Blade. 

2.  Tang. 

3.  Guard. 

4.  Pommel. 

5.  Grasp  scales. 

6.  Bayonet  scabbard.* 

(a)  Body. 

(b)  Frog. 

(c)  Tip. 

(d)  Mouth  casings. 

(e)  Jaws. 

9.  Sling. 

1.  Sling.* 

2.  Securing  hook  (sleeve). 

3.  Slide  (sleeve). 

4.  Snap  swivel  (plunger;  latch). 

5.  Sling  strap  button. 

In  explaining  the  various  parts  of  the  mechanism  to  a  class 
for  the  first  time,  avoid  going  into  minute  details  or  giving 
dimensions.  During  this  period  the  attention  of  apprentices 
should  be  drawn  to  the  more  important  parts,  a  knowledge  of 
which  is  necessary  in  the  practical  use  of  the  rifle. 


After  completing  the  nomenclature,  as  stated,  and  the 
description  of  the  more  important  parts,  explain  the  manipu- 
lation of  the  mechanism  exactly  as  given  in  ' '  Description  and 
Nomenclature,  U.  S.  Navy  Rifle,"  pages  13  to  16. 

Answer  any  questions  that  the  apprentices  may  have  to  ask 
concerning  the  parts  of  the  mechanism  just  explained;  then 
ask  the  following  questions  of  the  apprentices  in  turn : 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  What  is  the  name  of  this  rifle  ?     Why  so  named  ? 

2.  What  is  its  caliber  in  millimeters  ?    What  part  of  an  inch 

is  that  ? 

3    What  is  the  weight  of  the  rifle  without  sling  and  bayonet  ? 
With  sling  and  bayonet  fixed  ? 

4.  Name  the  rifle  now  being  introduced  into  the  Navy.     Its 

caliber  ? 

5.  Name  the  nine  principal  parts  of  the  Lee  Straight  Pull 

rifle,  pointing  to  each  as  they  are  named. 

6.  Of  what  material  are  the  following  parts  made:  Stock, 

barrel,  bolt,  and  stock  fittings  ? 

7.  What  takes  the  place  of  a  ramrod  ?    Where  is  it  kept  ? 

8.  What  system  of  rifling  is  used  ? 

9.  Point  out  bolt  stop.     What  is  its  purpose  ? 

10.  Point  out  bolt  release.     What  is  its  purpose  ? 

11.  Point  out  firing  pin  lock.     What  is  its  purpose  ? 

12.  Take  out  bolt  and  name  its  principal  parts. 

13.  Point  out  release  ways  and  tell  what  their  function  is. 

14.  Point  out  elevator  arm.     What  is  its  use  '? 

15.  When  the  bayonet  is  unfixed,  where  is  it  placed  ? 

16.  Point  out  sling  strap,  its  securing  hook,  and  its  snap  swivel. 

17.  Using  a  clip  of  dummy  cartridges,  load  and  show  how  the 

piece  should  be  carried  with  regard  to  being  loaded 
when  in  situation  of  great  danger.  How  should  it  be 
carried  at  all  other  times  ? 

18.  Before  firing,  what  should  you  make  sure  of  ?     (Bolt  home, 

bolt  stop  up). 


:NO.  4. 
NAVY  RIFLE— DISMOUNTING  AND  ASSEMBLING, 


Preparation. — In  the  "Description  and  Nomenclature  of 
the  U.  S.  Navy  Rifle'  read  "Dismounting  and  Assembling," 
page  16  as  far  as  to  "dismount  trigger,  etc.,"  and  page  18 
commencing  at  "Reassemble  bolt"  to  "Care  and  Preserva- 
tion," also  sections  4,  8,  and  9;  pages  6,  7,  8,  11.  and  12,  de- 
scribing, respectively,  the  breech  mechanism,  bayonet,  and 
sling.  Read  articles  133,  134,  148,  and  149,  "Drill  Regula- 
tions for  Infantry  and  Artillery."  Instructor  and  each 
apprentice  to  provide  himself  with  a  rifle,  with  belt,  bayonet, 
and  sling. 

Instruction, — Remove  bolt  and  dismount  breech  mechan 
ism.  Review  the  nomenclature  of  the  eight  parts  of  the 
breech  mechanism  (bolt,  firing  pin,  mainspring,  collar,  cam 
lever,  cam -lever  handle,  extractor,  and  spring).  Explain  in 
detail  the  various  parts  of  the  breech  mechanism  as  given  on 
page  6,  as  far  as  the  second  line  of  the  last  paragraph ;  the 
description  of  mainspring  and  cam  lever  and  last  paragraph 
on  page  7,  and  first  two  lines  of  paragraph  describing  ex- 
tractor, page  3.  Then  assemble  the  breech  mechanism  and 
replace  bolt  in  gun.  Conform  strictly  to  the  instructions  laid 
down  for  dismounting  and  assembling,  explaining  each  step. 
Caution  the  apprentices  not  to  use  undue  force  in  the  assem- 
bling of  the  parts.  Then  each  apprentice,  sitting  on  floor,  will 
dismount  and  assemble  the  breech  mechanism  of  his  piece, 
following  the  movements  of  the  instructor.  Have  the  class 
repeat  this  until  each  apprentice  thoroughly  understands  how 
it  is  done. 

Sling.— Following  the  instructions  on  page  18,  show  how 
to  (!)  remove  the  sling,  (2)  attach  the  sling,  and  (3)  prepare 
strap  for  slinging  the  gun.  As  far  as  it  may  be  necessary  in 

(21) 


22 

preparing  strap  for  slinging,  conform  to  positions  given  in 
articles  148  and  149,  "Drill  Regulations  for  Infantry  and 
Artillery."  Then  the  class,  formed  in  single  rank,  will 
remove  the  sling,  attach  the  sling,  and  prepare  strap  for 
slinging  the  gun,  following  the  movements  of  the  instructor. 
Repeat  until  each  apprentice  thoroughly  understands  how  to 
do  them. 

Bayonet. — Name  the  parts  of  the  bayonet  and  bayonet 
scabbard,  explaining  the  function  of  the  catch.  Fix  and  unfix 
bayonets,  conforming  to  the  positions  required  by  articles  133 
and  134,  "Drill  Regulations  for  Infantry  and  Artillery."  On 
board  cruising  ships  the  gunner's  mates,  acting  as  armorers, 
attend  to  all  dismounting  and  assembling  of  the  mechanism, 
except  the  bolt  and  other  moving  parts,  which  in  the  nomen- 
clature are  designated  as  the  "breech  mechanism.''  No 
attempt  is  made  to  have  every  apprentice  dismount  and  as- 
semble the  entire  gun ;  first  classmen  showing  special  aptitude 
in  gunnery  will  be  taught  how  to  do  this. 

QUESTIONS. 

Answer  such  questions  as  the  apprentices  may  have  to  ask 
regarding  instruction  just  given,  then  ask  them  the  following 
questions : 

1.  Remove  the  bolt,  stating  each  step  taken. 

2.  Dismount  the  breech  mechanism  and  name  each  of  the 

eight  parts. 

3.  Assemble  the  breech  mechanism. 

4.  Assemble  extractor  and  spring  and  replace  bolt  in  receiver. 

5.  Remove  sling  from  gun. 

6.  Attach  sling  to  gun. 

7.  When  gun  is  carried  unslung,  how  is  the  sling  arranged? 

8.  Prepare  for  slinging  the  gun. 

9.  Sling  arms. 

10.  Name  the  parts  of  the  bayonet. 

11.  Fix  bayonets ;  unfix  bayonets. 

12.  What  is  the  function  of  the  bayonet  catch? 


OF  T 

i  "UNIVERSITY 


No.  5. 

NAVY  RIFLE— CARE  AND  PRESERVATION. 


Preparation. — Read  "Care  and  Preservation"  pages  IS  to 
20,  and  description  of  cleaning  cord,  page  12,  of  "Descrip- 
tion and  Nomenclature  of  the  Navy  Rifle. "  Instructors  pro- 
vide themselves  with  rifles,  having  cleaning  cords,  and  clean- 
ing cloths  l£  inches  square  in  cavity  in  stock,  also  with  a 
ramrod  such  as  used  in  armories. 

Instruction. — Name  the  parts  of  the  cleaning  cord.  The 
cleaning  cloth  should  be  of  serge  and  not  larger  than  1$  inches 
square,  on  account  of  the  small  caliber  of  the  rifle.  Show 
how  to  use  cleaning  cord,  with  bolt  in  gun  and  with  bolt 
removed ;  also  how  to  use  ramrod,  which  must  never  be  thrust 
into  the  muzzle  of  the  gun.  All  cleaning  must  be  done  from 
the  breech  to  prevent  scoring  of  rifling  near  the  muzzle. 

The  cleaning  required  to  keep  a  rifle  in  good  condition 
consists  of  (1)  a  careful  cleaning  of  the  bore  with  the  cord 
and  oily  cloths,  carried  in  butt,  immeditely  upon  the  com- 
pletion of  the  day's  firing.  This  cleaning  to  be  done  at  the 
rifle  range.  (2)  A  thorough  cleaning  of  the  bore,  chamber, 
and  mechanism  with  oily  cloths,  waste  and  brushes  upon 
being  returned  to  the  armory.  The  residue  left  by  the 
smokeless  powder  should  be  entirely  removed,  using  fresh 
water  and  a  solution  of  soda  if  necessary.  The  bore,  after 
being  cleaned,  should  be  dried,  and  then  lightly  oiled.  The 
chamber  must  be  only  very  lightly  oiled,  and  should  be 
wiped  out  before  firing.  The  bolt  should  be  removed  for  the 
cleaning  in  the  armory ;  in  case  a  primer  is  pierced  it  will  be 
necessary  to  dismount  the  bolt  mechanism  and  clean  and  oil 
the  main  spring,  firing  pin,  and  the  cavity.  Such  other 
cleaning  and  oiling  as  may  be  needed  can  be  done  without 
any  further  dismounting  of  the  mechanism.  Further  dis- 
mounting will  only  be  required  in  case  of  broken  parts. 

(83) 


24 

(3)  A"  general  cleaning  and  oiling  whenever  there  are  indica- 
tions of  rust.  Rifles  seldom  used  for  firing  should  be  inspected 
frequently  for  signs  of  rust,  which  forms  quickly  wherever 
the  oil  is  rubbed  off,  or  the  guns  are  exposed  to  salt  air. 
With  the  rifle,  as  with  other  parts  of  ordnance,  the  coating 
of  oil  should  be  very  light,  as  it  catches  dust  and  dirt,  which 
clogs  the  mechanism,  causing  it  to  work  stiffly.  If  in  clean- 
ing, cloth  or  waste  becomes  jammed  in  the  bore  so  that  it 
can  not  be  removed  with  a  ramrod,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
drill  it  out.  Attempting  to  fire  it  out  will  probably  ruin  the 
barrel.  For  the  same  reason  small  wads  of  waste  or  other 
material  used  to  keep  dust  or  dampness  out  of  bore  should 
be  removed  before  firing. 

Care  in  Handling. — The  sights  are  easily  broken  and  every 
precaution  should  be  taken  that  they  are  not  injured.  If 
no  rack  is  at  hand,  nor  arm  curtains  provided,  the  gun 
should  be  laid  flat  on  the  floor,  deck,  ground,  or  thwarts  of  a 
boat.  Leaning  the  rifle  against  a  wall,  rail  or  bulkhead  is 
not  permitted.  In  the  manual  of  arms  when  coming  to  the 
"order"  the  butt  should  be  eased  down  to  the  ground  or 
deck  as  the  hollow  stock  is  easily  broken.  During  the 
Spanish  war  many  bolts  were  lost  out  of  the  rifles  by  failure 
to  have  the  bolt  stop  drawn  entirely  up.  When  rifles  are 
taken  from  a  rack  they  should  be  inspected  to  see  that  the 
stop  bolt  is  in  its  top  position ;  this  should  always  be  done 
before  firing.  Otherwise  the  extractor  and  possibly  the  bolt 
may  be  lost.  At  all  times,  upon  taking  a  rifle,  it  must  be 
inspected  immediately  to  be  sure  it  is  not  loaded.  Even 
after  the  inspection  the  rifle  must,  as  far  as  practicable, 
be  treated  as  though  it  were  loaded.  When  through  firing 
or  drill,  snap  the  piece  by  pulling  the  trigger  in  order  to 
relieve  the  main  spring;  this  should  always  be  done  before 
returning  rifles  to  the  armory  or  to  the  racks.  Every  pre- 
caution should  be  taken  to  keep  sand,  grit,  and  salt  water  out 
of  bore  and  mechanism. 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  Name  the  four  parts  of  the  cord  cleaner. 

2.  Show  how  it  is  used  to  clean  the  bore ;  how  to  clean  the 

chamber. 


25 


3.  From  which  end  of  barrel  should  a  rainrod  be  used  ? 

4.  Why  should  all  cleaning  of  the  bore  be  done  from  the 

breech  ? 

5.  What  cleaning  of  rifle  is  required  during  the  course  of  a 

day's  firing  ? 

6.  What  cleaning  of  rifle  is  required  as  soon  as  possible  after 

a  day's  firing  1 

7.  What  cleaning  of  rifle  is 'required  when  rifle  is  returned 

to  armory  after  firing  ? 

8.  What  cleaning  is  required  in  case  a  primer  is  pierced  ? 

9.  How  should  a  rifle  be  disposed  of  in  case  there  are  no 

racks  at  hand  ?    Why  ? 

10.  Upon  taking  a  rifle,  what  two  parts  should  be  inspected  ? 

11.  Why  should  rifle  be  eased  down  in  coming  to  an  "order"? 

12.  In  case  cleaning  gear  becomes   jammed  in  bore,   how 

remove  it  ? 

13.  How  should  a  rifle  be  handled  at  all  times?     (As  though 

it  were  loaded. ) 

If  time  permits,  review  the  questions  on  ' '  Rifle — Mechan- 
ism" and  "Dismounting  and  Assembling." 


Xo.  0. 

INSTRUCTION  IN  THE  USE  OF  SIGHTS. 


Preparation.— Read  pages  33  to  39  and  141  to  153,  "Rad- 
f  ord's  Gunnery  "  (1898) ;  pages  10  and  11, "  Description  of  Navy 
Rifle"  (1895);  pages  184  to  187,  "  Firing  Regulations  for  Small 
Arms,  U.  S.  Army"  (1898);  and  pages  235  to  240,  "Ingersoll's 
Gunnery  "  (1894).  Provide  blackboard  and  a  Navy  rifle.  Be 
prepared  to  make  sketches  of  sights  and  of  trajectory  to  illus- 
trate the  instruction. 

Instruction. — The  ship  or  fleet  that  fires  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  well-aimed  shots  will  generally  win  the  battle,  as  did 
the  "Kearsarge "  in  her  fight  with  the  "Alabama."  It  is  evi- 
dent that  quick  and  accurate  aiming  of  guns  is  of  the  greatest 
importance ;  gunnery  ships  are  employed  at  great  expense  to 
drill  men  at  sighting  guns,  and  the  men  qualifying  as  gun 
pointers  receive  much  better  pay  than  they  would  otherwise. 
At  the  Training  Station  and  on  board  ship,  prizes  are  given 
to  those  who  qualify  as  marksmen  at  target  practice  with 
small  arms.  To  become  a  good  gun  pointer  it  is  necessary  to 
know  something  of  the  principles  governing  the  motion  of 
projectiles.  When  a  gun  is  fired  the  quick-burning  powder 
is  transformed  into  gases  of  much  greater  volume  than  the 
chamber  of  the  gun;  the  enormous  pressure  produced  by 
these  expanding  gases  drives  the  projectile  out  of  the  bore 
with  great  force  (illustrate  by  sketch) .  If  the  projectile  were 
acted  upon  by  no  other  force  except  that  due  to  the  expanding 
gases  of  the  burning  powder,  it  would,  after  leaving  the  gun, 
continue  to  move  in  a  straight  line,  at  a  uniform  velocity, 
until  it  struck  some  solid  substance  (illustrate).  The  direc- 
tion in  which  a  projectile  is  moving  when  it  leaves  the  gun  is 
called  the  line  of  fire.  The  velocity  with  which  a  projectile 
is  moving  when  it  leaves  the  gun  is  called  the  muzzle  velocity, 
and  is  expressed  in  feet  per  second.  The  principal  forces  that 

(27) 


28 

affect  the  motion  of  a  projectile  after  it  leaves  the  gun  are  (1) 
the  resistance  of  the  air,  which  reduces  the  velocity;  (2)  the 
force  of  gravity,  which  draws  the  projectile  toward  the 
earth;  (3)  the  rifling  gives  the  projectile  a  rotating  motion, 
which  causes  the  projectile  to  deviate  to  the  right  or  left  of 
the  line  of  fire  according  as  the  rifling  is  of  right  handed  or 
left-handed  twist.  This  deviation  of  the  projectile  due  to 
rifling  is  called  drift.  For  example,  suppose  a  shell  fired  with 
a  muzzle  velocity  of  2,500  foot-seconds  from  a  6-inch  B.  L.  R. 
mounted  on  shore,  during  the  first  second  of  its  flight  the 
shell  does  not  travel  in  the  line  of  fire  a  distance  of  2,500 
feet,  for  the  resistance  of  air  reduces  the  distance  to  about 
2,300  feet;  the  force  of  gravity  causes  the  shell  to  fall  about 
16  feet  below  the  line  of  fire ;  and  the  drift,  due  to  the  right- 
handed  twist  of  the  rifling,  is  a  few  feet  to  right  of  the  line 
of  fire  (illustrate).  The  shell  is  so  shaped  that  when  fired  it 
will  offer  the  least  resistance  to  the  air.  The  action  of  the 
force  of  gravity  upon  projectiles  requires  guns  to  be  pointed 
higher  than  would  otherwise  be  the  case. 

Sights  are  fitted  to  guns  to  make  the  aiming  easier  and 
quicker.  The  ordinary  sights  consist  of  a  fixed  front  sight 
and  a  movable  rear-sight  bar  graduated  to  100  yards.  (  Use 
R.  F.  G.  sights  to  illustrate  instruction. )  To  aim  a  gun,  set 
the  sight  bar  for  the  proper  range,  then  train  and  elevate  the 
gun  until  the  target,  the  tip  of  the  front  sight,  and  the  notch 
of  the  rear  sight  are  brought  in  line.  To  accustom  the  eye  to 
see  distinctly  these  three  points  at  the  same  time  requires 
considerable  practice,  and  it  is  the  principal  thing  to  be 
learned  in  aiming  guns  mounted  on  shore.  For  this  reason 
always  select  some  clearly  defined  object  about  2,000  yards 
distant,  sight  set  at  the  approximate  range ;  clamp  the  gun 
and  have  the  apprentices,  in  turn,  look  over  the  sights  and 
then  through  the  bore,  calling  their  attention  to  the  difference 
between  the  line  of  sight  and  the  line  of  fire,  which  is  the 
allowance  made  for  the  effect  of  the  action  of  gravity  and  the 
drift  due  to  rifling. 

Wind  blowing  across  the  line  of  fire  must  be  allowed  for. 
This  allowance  is  made  either  by  moving  the  traversing  head 
of  the  rear  sight  to  windward  or  by  aiming  at  a  point  a  little 
to  windward  of  the  target. 


29 

Jump.— There  is  a  slight  deflection  of  the  projectile  due 
to  slackness  in  the  gun  mount  which  permits  the  gun  to 
"jump  "  as  the  projectile  is  leaving  the  bore.  This  deflection 
is  allowed  for  in  the  marking  of  the  sight  bar. 

At  sea  quick  and  accurate  aiming  is  far  more  difficult 
than  on  shore  as  (1)  the  rolling  and  pitching  of  the  ship,  (2) 
the  speed  of  the  ship,  and  (3)  the  speed  of  the  target  have  to 
be  considered ;  and  the  firing,  especially  the  continuous  firing 
of  the  guns  in  the  secondary  battery  is  of  the  nature  of  snap 
shooting.  Guns  of  the  main  battery  should  be  fired  at  the 
end  of  the  roll,  preferably  at  the  end  of  the  roll  toward  the 
enemy  or  target,  as  for  an  instant  the  ship  is  then  steady. 
The  rule  for  moving  the  traversing  head  is  against  the  wind, 
against  the  direction  the  ship  is  moving,  and  with  the  moving 
target.  Nearly  all  the  new  guns  are  fitted  with  telescopic 
sights,  or  other  sights  which  have  no  arrangement  corre- 
sponding to  the  traversing  head ;  with  these  sights  the  gun 
pointer,  "at  commence  firing,  "must  rely  upon  previous  ex- 
perience in  making  allowance  in  aiming,  watch  the  fall  of  his 
shots  if  possible,  and  correct  his  aim  accordingly.  , 

Show  by  sketches  what  is  meant  by  a  medium  sight,  a  fine 
sight,  and  a  full  sight.  The  medium  sight  should  always  be 
used  until  considerable  experience  at  target  practice  has  been 
gained.  A  fine  sight  causes  the  piece  to  fire  lower  than  when 
a  medium  sight  is  used ;  a  full  sight  causes  it  to  fire  higher. 
Experience  will  teach  you  when  fine  and  full  sighting  can  be 
used  to  advantage,  as  at  certain  ranges  in  revolver  practice. 

Care  should  be  taken  to  protect  the  sights  from  injury 
and  to  keep  them  clean,  especially  the  notch  of  the  rear  sight. 
Inspect  them  before  using  the  piece  to  see  that  they  are  in 
proper  condition ;  and  before  firing  make  sure  that  the  sights 
are  set  at  designated  range.  In  the  case  of  prolonged  firing 
at  the  same  range  see  that  they  do  not  slip  or  jump,  as  this 
frequently  occurs  with  sight  bars  of  R.  F.  G. 

Instructors  will  explain  the  following  terms:  Aiming; 
sighting;  pointing;  range;  point  blank;  trajectory;  projectile; 
bullet;  velocity;  muzzle  or  initial  velocity ;  tumble  (shell); 
rifling;  right-handed  twist ;  left-handed  twist. 

Small-arm    Rifle. — Name  the  parts  of  the  front    sight: 
-,  tip,  and  sight  guard;  and  of  the  rear  sight:  base,  leaf, 


30 

leaf  spring,  slide,  and  catch.  Up  to  300  yards  the  piece  is 
fired  point  blank,  that  is,  leaf  down  and  slide  in  rear  position. 
For  500  and  600  yards  leaf  is  down,  slide  at  forward  end  of 
leaf.  Note  the  marks  3  and  6  on  left  side  of  rear-sight  base. 
For  800  yards  and  upward  the  leaf  is  raised  and  the  slide  is 
pushed  up  until  its  upper  edge  comes  to  the  line,  just  above 
which  a  figure  marks  the  number  of  hundred  yards.  Explain 
thoroughly  the  marking  of  the  leaf,  using  sketch.  The 
notches  on  the  side  of  the  leaf  permit  adjustment  for  inter- 
mediate ranges.  The  sight  is  adjusted  for  medium  sighting 
at  all  ranges. 

Telescopic  sights  and  peep  sights  will  be  explained  in  con- 
nection with  the  instruction  of  the  4-inch  R.  F.  G.  and  Driggs- 
Schroeder  6-pounder  R.  F.  G. ,  respectively. 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  What  is  the  object  of  having  sights  on  a  gun  ? 

2.  What  four  forces  have  to  be  considered  in  fitting  sights 

to  a  gun  ?    The  effect  of  each  ? 

3.  What  is  the  line  of  sight  ?    The  line  of  fire  ? 

4.  Define  initial  and  muzzle  velocity  ?    How  expressed  ? 

5.  Define  drift ;  right-handed  twist.     When  is  a  shell  said  to 

tumble  ? 

6.  Define  projectile ;  bullet;  aiming;  range;  point  blank. 

7.  What  do  the  ordinary  sights  of  a  gun  consist  of  ? 

8.  Explain  how  to  aim  a  R.  F.  G. 

9.  What  four  things  have  to  be  considered  in  aiming  guns  ? 

How  do  you  allow  for  the  effect  of  wind  ?    Speed  of 
ship  ?    Speed  of  target  ? 

10.  With  ship  rolling,  at  what  time  is  it  best  to  fire  ? 

11.  What  is  meant  by  a  medium  sight  ?    A  fine  sight  ?    A  full 

sight  ? 

12.  Compared  with  the  medium  sight  what  is  the  effect  of 

using  a  fine  sight  ?    A  full  sight  ? 

13.  Name  the  parts  of  front  sight  of  small-arm  rifle.     The 

parts  of  the  rear  sight. 

14.  Show  how  to  set  the  sights  of  rifle  for  300,  500,  600,  800, 

900,  and  1,200.  yards. 


No.  7. 

SIGHTING— POSITION  AND  AIMING  DRILLS. 


Preparation.  -Read  "Description  of  Navy  Rifle,"  pages  10 
and  11  on  sights;  "Firing  Regulations  for  Small  Arms,  U.  S. 
Army"  (1898)  paragraphs  1,  17  to  19,  21  to  43,  and  48  to  120; 
"  Infantry  Drill  Regulations,- U.  S.  Navy"  (1898),  paragraphs 
153,  155,  157,  161,  163  to  165. 

For  sighting  drill  provide  sighting  tripod,  with  rifle 
mounted  upon  it;  a  sheet  of  paper  about  15  inches  square;  a 
small  staff  carrying  a  tin  disk  2^  inches  in  diameter,  painted 
white,  with  a  black  bull's-eye  ^  inch  in  diameter,  center  of 
bull's-eye  pierced  so  that  pencil  point  may  be  inserted ;  also 
a  list  of  apprentices,  so  that  record  of  this  drill  may  be  kept. 
Not  over  six  apprentices  should  be  selected  at  one  time  for 
the  sighting  drill,  which  should  be  completed  for  this  num- 
ber in  about  thirty  minutes.  Set  up  tripod  in  target  gallery, 
or  some  other  well  lighted  place,  at  a  distance  of  30  feet  from 
the  paper  target. 

For  position  and  aiming  drills  the  instructor  and  appren- 
tices will  provide  themselves  with  rifles.  Refer  to  photo- 
graphs, and  sketches  in  "  Firing  Regulations,  U.  S.  Army" 
for  proper  positions  in  firing  standing,  kneeling,  sitting  down, 
and  lying  down.  An  instructor  should  not  attempt  to  give 
this  drill  to  more  than  25  apprentices  at  one  time. 

Instruction. — The  sighting,  position,  and  aiming  drills,  with 
the  instruction  already  given,  are  intended  to  prepare  appren- 
tices for  target  practice  so  that  neither  time  nor  ammunition 
will  be  wasted  in  the  target  gallery  or  rifle  range.  The  exer- 
cises as  given  in  the  "Firing  Regulations "  will  be  strictly 
followed  except  as  may  be  noted  below.  The  positions  must 
conform  to  the  Infantry  Drill  Regulations,  U.  S.  Navy.  In 
order  to  complete  the  exercises  in  the  allotted  time  the  medium 


sight  only  will  be  used  unless  the  fine  and  full  sighting  are 
expressly  provided  for  in  these  instructions.  Use  the  term 
medium  sight  instead  of  ' '  half  "  sight  employed  in  the  '  'Firing 
Regulations." 

Sighting  Drill. — Review  the  nomenclature  of  the  sights  of 
the  rifle.  Explain  what  determines  the  line  of  sight.  Show 
by  sketches  on  paper  medium,  fine,  and  full  sighting.  The 
leaf  is  graduated  for  medium  sighting.  Explain  the  necessity 
of  learning  the  correct  amount  of  full  sight  that  should  be 
seen  through  the  notch  of  the  rear  sight,  and  of  always  hav- 
ing the  sights  present  a  uniform  appearance  when  aiming. 
Then  with  rifle  mounted  on  tripod  carry  out  following 
exercises : 

First  Exercise. — Stick  a  black  paster  near  one  corner  of  sheet 
of  paper.  Explain  how  to  bring  an  object  in  the  line  of  sight. 
With  the  slide  adjusted  for  300,  600,  and  1,200  yard  ranges, 
using  first  a  medium  sight,  then  fine  and  full  sights,  aim  at 
the  lower  edge  of  the  paster.  Explain  in  each  case  what 
sight  is  used,  and  then  direct  the  apprentices,  in  succession, 
to  close  their  left  eye,  and  looking  through  the  notch  with 
their  right  to  carefully  notice  the  relative  positions  of  the 
bottom  edge  of  the  paster,  the  tip  of  the  front  sight  and  the 
notch  of  the  rear  sight.  Explain  that  a  fine  sight  causes  a 
higher  point  to  be  hit,  and  a  full  sight  a  lower  point  to  be  hit 
than  if  a  medium  sight  was  used. 

Second  Exercise. — Adjust  slide  for  range  of  1,000  yards ;  aim 
at  lower  edge  of  paster,  using  each  variety  of  sight.  Have 
each  apprentice  in  turn  inform  instructor  in  a  low  voice  what 
kind  of  sight  is  taken.  Try  those  who  fail  to  give  correct 
answers  until  they  understand  the  nature  of  medium,  fine, 
and  full  sighting.  Call  attention  that  only  medium  sighting 
will  be  used  during  the  remaining  exercises.  Aim  at  a  point 
about  2  inches  distant  from  lower  edge  of  paster  and  have 
the  apprentices,  in  succession,  examine  sights  and  inform 
instructor  how  he  should  move  the  muzzle  of  the  rifle,  up  or 
down  and  to  right  or  left,  in  order  to  bring  it  on  lower  edge 
of  paster.  Caution  the  apprentices  to  place  their  eye  so  that 
the  tip  of  the  front  sight  stands  out  distinct  in  the  middle  of 
the  notch,  but  the  eye  should  be  fixed  on  the  target,  not  on 
the  front  sight. 


33 

Third  Exercise. — With  sight  set  for  1,000  yards  range,  have 
each  apprentice  find  his  triangle  of  error  as  laid  down  in  para- 
graphs 36  to  39,  ' '  Firing  Regulations. "  Find  if  he  has  a  con- 
stant error,  paragraph  40 ;  and  if  possible  determine  the  cause 
of  this  error,  paragraph  41.  After  explaining  to  each  appren- 
tice the  cause  of  his  error,  have  him  go  through  with  the 
exercise  again.  Paragraph  41  is  important,  and  should  be 
thoroughly  studied  and  carefully  applied  in  determining  the 
causes  of  errors  in  sighting.  This  exercise  will  only  be  given 
with  the  sight  set  at  one  range.  Instead  of  the  fourth  exercise 
of  the  sighting  drill  in  the  "Firing  Regulations,"  explain  that 
the  barrel  should  not  be  inclined  either  to  the  right  or  left 
when  aiming.  Raise  the  leaf  and  run  the  slide  up  to  1,500 
yard  mark.  The  rear  notch  is  raised  that  distance  vertically  to 
allow  for  the  fall  of  the  bullet,  due  to  force  of  gravity.  Turn 
the  barrel  to  the  right  90°  so  that  the  leaf  is  horizontal. 
Explain  that  in  aiming  with  the  barrel  thus  inclined  the  posi- 
tion of  the  notch  is  such  that  it  makes  an  allowance  in  the 
horizontal  plane  instead  of  the  vertical,  and  the  point  seen  over 
the  sights  is  to  the  left  of  the  line  of  fire,  while  no  allowance 
is  made  for  the  effect  of  gravity.  The  result  is  that  the  bullet 
strikes  lower  and  to  the  right  of  the  point  aimed  at  when  the 
barrel  is  inclined  to  the  right,  and  lower  and  to  the  left  when 
the  barrel  is  inclined  to  the  left. 

Aiming  and  Position  Drills. — Form  the  squad  in  single 
rank ;  open  chamber  and  inspect  to  see  that  all  pieces  are  not 
loaded.  Extend  intervals  to  one  pace.  Form  three  sides  of  a 
hollow  square  in  case  the  squad  numbers  more  than  fifteen. 
Explain  the  object  of  the  drill,  paragraphs  50 and  51,  "Firing 
Regulations."  Have  the  squad  take  the  position  of  "load," 
"Infantry  Drill  Regulations,  U.  S.  Navy,"  paragraph  161  (1). 
Set  sight  for  800  yards. 

First  Exercise — Position. — The  instructor  will  go  through 
the  exercise  laid  down  in  paragraphs  56,  57,  and  58,  "Firing 
Regulations,"  explaining  each  step  in  it.  Then  have  the 
squad  go  through  the  exercise  by  the  numbers  several  times, 
following  the  motions  of  the  instructor.  Correct  the  positions 
and  explain  each  step  again  if  it  is  necessary.  Then  have 
them  go  through  the  exercise  ten  times  without  the  numbers. 


34 

Watch  the  motions  and  positions  of  each  apprentice  carefully, 
correcting  every  detail  if  required.  (See  paragraphs  59,  60, 
and  61.) 

Second  Exercise — Aiming. — If  not  practicable  to  provide 
targets  according  to  paragraph  63,  select  some  well-defined 
distant  object  for  squad  to  aim  at.  With  squad  formed  in 
single  rank,  one  pace  intervals,  conduct  the  exercise  explained 
in  paragraphs  65  and  66  in  the  same  manner  as  laid  down  above 
for  the  first  exercise.  Caution  the  squad  to  use  a  medium  sight, 
and  to  fix  the  eye  upon  the  object  aimed  at,  not  on  the  front 
sight.  In  correcting  the  positions,  follow  out  suggestions  in 
paragraphs  68  and  70  to  73. 

Third  Exercise — Pulling  Trigger. — When  the  squad  has 
acquired  the  details  of  the  second  exercise'  laid  down  in  para- 
graphs 75  and  76,  giving  due  consideration  to  the  suggestions 
in  paragraphs  77  to  83. 

After  having  gone  through  each  exercise  ' '  by  the  numbers, " 
give  the  apprentices  a  little  relaxation  by  having  the  odd 
numbers  assist  in  correcting  the  positions  of  the  even  numbers 
next  to  them,  and  vica  versa. 

In  aiming,  the  following  points  should  be  carefully  observed : 

1.  Right  heel  3  inches  to  right  and  6  inches  to  rear  of  left 
heel. 

2.  Left  toe  pointing  nearly  to  front ;  feet  forming  nearly  a 
square,  toes  and  knees  turned  in  slightly. 

3.  Knees  pressed  back,  but  without  stiffness. 

4.  Body  in  easy  and  natural  position.     Avoid  drawing  in 
stomach,  raising  chest,  or  bending  small  of  back. 

5.  Raise  the  piece  slowly  with  muzzle  slightly  depressed. 

6.  Press  whole  surface  of  butt  firmly  against  hollow  of 
shoulder. 

7.  Barrel  inclining  neither  to  right  nor  left. 

8.  Right  elbow  at  height  of  shoulder. 

9.  Left  elbow  well  under  rifle  and  against  body. 

10.  Use  right  hand  to  hold  piece  firmly,  the  left  to  bring 
sights  on  target. 

11.  Raise  right  shoulder  slightly. 

12.  Rest  cheek  against  the  stock. 

13.  Aim  with  the  right  eye ;  the  left  eye  closed. 

14.  Fix  eye  on  object  aimed  at,  not  on  front  sight. 


35 

15.  Always  use  a  medium  sight. 

16.  Hold  breath  at  instant  of  firing,  but  not  too  long. 

17  Steady  the  piece  on  target  before  pulling  trigger.  If 
very  unsteady,  come  down  to  "load"  and  try  again. 

18.  Pull  trigger  with  fore  finger  by  gradually  increasing 
the  pressure,  not  with  a  jerk. 

19.  Keep  right  eye  open,  and  continue  to  aim  a  moment 
after  the  place  is  discharged. 

Instructors  will  keep  a  record  of  apprentices  who  show  pro- 
ficiency at  the  sighting,  and  aiming  and  position  drills. 

The  aiming  and  position  drills,  kneeling,  lying  down,  and 
sitting  down  (paragraphs  84  to  120,  "Firing  Regulations"), 
will  be  given  at  the  second  period  scheduled  for  this  instruc- 
tion, or  at  the  same  time  as  part  of  a  class  is  having  gallery 
target  practice. 


Xo.  8. 

NAVY  REVOLVER— MECHANISM. 


Preparation.— Read  "Gun  and  Torpedo  Drills"  (1900)  on 
the  dismounting  and  assembling,  the  manipulation,  and  the 
care  and  preservation  of  the  revolver.  Refer  to  "Notes  on 
Navy  Revolver,  Models  of  1889  and  1895,"  for  nomenclature 
of  the  parts.  Provide  a  revolver,  its  tool  box,  and  a  table 
for  use  in  dismounting  and  assembling. 

Instruction. — This  revolver,  supplied  to  all  United  States 
ships,  is  the  Colt's  double-action  navy  revolver,  of  0.38  caliber, 
made  of  steel,  except  the  hard-rubber  stock  scales ;  its  weight 
is  2  pounds.  It  was  specially  designed  for  use  in  the  Navy, 
and  is  manufactured  by  the  Colt  Arms  Company,  of  Hartford, 
Conn.  It  is  said  to  have  double  action,  as  one  pull  of  the  trig- 
ger performs  the  double  duty  of  cocking  and  firing.  It  can 
also  be  used  as  a  single-action  revolver,  by  drawing  the  ham- 
mer back  with  the  thumb  before  pulling  the  trigger.  The 
double  action  makes  it  possible  to  fire  more  rapidly,  but  it  is 
less  accurate  than  the  single  action  on  account  of  the  heavier 
trigger  pull  required  for  self -cocking  The  single  pull  is  about 
7  pounds,  and  the  double  pull  about  10  pounds. 

The  tool  box  contains  a  wrench,  two  screw-drivers,  set,  large 
and  small  drifts,  and  cleaning  rod.  The  wrench  can  be  used 
as  a  hammer  for  the  drifts,  if  necessary.  Where  a  mallet  is 
needed  in  dismounting  and  assembling,  use  the  screw-driver 
handle,  grasping  it  by  the  neck  and  delivering  the  blow  with 
the  butt  end.  The  set  is  used  to  set  out  the  end  of  the  ejector 
rod  after  the  ejector  has  been  screwed  on.  Call  attention  to 
the  brief  instruction  for  dismounting  the  revolver  printed  in 
box  cover. 

Dismounting. — Follow  the  instructions  in  "Gun  and  Tor- 
pedo Drills"  (1900),  dismounting  the  following  parts  of  the 

TYiA/»Vtcinia-m        -rnm  rkiri  T>  o-      fhorn      "in      fhfi      rvrflAr      -nfl.TnPfl       V»f»lf>W 


explain  each  step,  and  name  each  part  as  it  is  dismounted. 
After  removing  the  frame  plate  point  out  the  three 
essential  parts  of  the  mechanism,  viz,  trigger,  mainspring, 
and  hammer. 

1.  Stock  screw. 

2.  Stock  scales.* 

3.  Frame-cap  screws. 

4.  Frame  cap.  * 

5.  Hand  and  spring. 

6.  Mainspring  strain  screw.* 

7.  Mainspring*  (after  disengaging  stirrup). 

8.  Hammer  (strut  and  stirrup). 

9.  Rebound  lever. 

10.  Cylinder  stop  bolt. 

11.  Trigger.* 

12.  Trigger-locking  lever  screw. 

13.  Trigger-locking  lever. 

14.  Crane  lock  and  screw. 

15.  Cylinder*  and  crane.* 

16.  Latch  spring  pin. 

17.  Latch*  and  spring. 

Explain  that  this  is  the  only  dismounting  required  except 
to  replace  broken  parts.  The  barrel  should  not  be  unscrewed 
from  the  frame ;  pins  should  not  be  driven  out,  nor  ejector 
unscrewed  from  ejector  rod;  but  show  how  drifts  are  used, 
and  how  the  wrench  is  used  to  turn  off  injector  and  turn  out 
crane  nut,  the  threads  in  both  cases  being  left-handed.  This 
leaves  the  following  parts  assembled  or  only  partially  dis- 
mounted, viz  : 

1.  Barrel*  and  sight.* 

2.  Frame  (trigger  guard).* 

3.  Rebound  lever  spring. 

4.  Hammer.* 

5.  Hammer  stirrups. 

6.  Hammer  strut  and  spring. 

7.  Crane  (nut). 

8.  Ejector*  and  ratchet. 

9.  Ejector  rod  (head).* 

10.  Ejector  spring. 


39 

Explain  the  function  of  each  of  these  parts,  directing  atten- 
tion particularly  to  the  parts  marked  with  *,  the  names  of 
which  must  be  remembered  by  apprentices. 

Assembling. — The  parts  should  be  assembled  in  the  reverse 
order,  except  that  rebound  lever  and  spring  should  be  engaged 
before  cylinder  stop  bolt  is  entered;  the  cylinder  stop  bolt 
spring  is  easily  broken  or  given  a  set  and  must  be  handled 
carefully.  (See  correction  in  "Gun  and  Torpedo  Drills," 
1900.) 

Action  of  Mechanism.— Before  putting  on  frame  cap  ex- 
plain the  working  of  the  mechanism,  calling  special  attention 
to  the  following  points : 

1.  Increasing  tension  of  mainspring  by  means  of  strain 
screw. 

2.  When  hammer  is  rebounded,  piece  can  be  fired  only  by 
pulling  trigger,  or  breaking  the  mechanism. 

3.  Locking  of  cylinder  by  cylinder  stop  bolt  after  firing, 
and  by  safety  nib  of  trigger  just  before  firing. 

4.  Cylinder  can  only  be  revolved  by  operation  of  the  mech- 
anism or  by  holding  hammer  in  a  position  corresponding  to 
halfcock. 

5.  Trigger-locking  lever  locks  mechanism  when  cylinder  is 
out,  so  that  piece  can  not  be  cocked  either  by  pulling  trigger 
or  directly  by  hand  without  injuring  the  mechanism. 

6.  Action  of  trigger  upon  hammer  strut,  using  double  action. 

7.  Action  of  trigger  upon  hammer  in  single  action  (remove 
hand  to  show  6  and  7).     Complete  the  assembling  of  the  re- 
volver.    Then  explain  that  cylinder  must  be  latched,  and  the 
latching  tested,  after  loading,  by  pressing  on  cylinder  with 
fingers  of  left  hand ;  if  securely  latched,  the  cylinder  will  be 
found  immovable.     A  heavy  double  pull  indicates  that  the 
cylinder  is  not  latched.     Select  apprentices  in  turn  to  dis- 
mount and  assemble  such  parts  of  the  mechanism  as  the  in- 
structor may  direct,  having  all  the  apprentices  take  some 
part  in  doing  this.     Limit  the  dismounting  to  the  parts  noted 
above.     Require  the  rest  of  the  class  to  give  strict  attention 
to  this  part  of  the  instruction. 

Care  and  Preservation. — Instruct  the  apprentices  in  the 
"Hints  to  Armorers,"  page  96,  "Gunnery  Drill  Book,"  ex- 
plaining that  all  general  cleaning  of  revolvers  is  done  by 


40 

gunner's  mates  detailed  for  the  purpose.  But  during  long- 
continued  firing  the  fouling  should  be  wiped  from  the  face 
of  the  cylinder  to  prevent  clogging  of  the  joint  between 
cylinder  and  barrel.  A  cloth  cleaner  should  be  run  through 
bore  after  each  string  of  shots  at  target  practice,  as  a  dirty 
bore  materially  affects  the  accuracy  of  the  piece.  The  snap- 
ping of  rovolvers,  except  when  ordered  at  drill,  is  forbidden. 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  Give  name,  caliber,  and  weight  of  Navy  revolver. 

2.  What  is  meant  by  double  action  ?    Single  action  ? 

3.  What  advantage  is  gained  by  using  the  double  pull  ? 

4.  What  is  the  advantage  of  using  the  single  pull  ? 

5.  Name  tools  used  in  dismounting  and  assembling. 

6.  Dismount  stock  scales  and  frame  cap. 

7.  Explain  use  of  mainspring  strain  screw. 

8.  Remove  hand.     Point  out  the  three  principal  parts  of  the 

mechanism. 

9.  Remove  mainspring,  hammer,  and  rebound  lever. 

10.  Remove  cylinder  stop  bolt,  trigger,  and  cylinder  and  crane. 

11.  In  assembling,  what  part  is  most  liable  to  be  broken  ? 

12.  Assembled  parts  dismounted. 

13.  What  does  heavy  double  pull  indicate  ? 

14.  How  test  latching  of  cylinder  ? 

15.  Name  parts  pointed  at.     ( Point  to  parts.) 

16.  What  cleaning  is  required  during  target  practice  ? 

17.  Show  how  to  test  working  of  hammer  and  strength  of 

mainspring. 

18.  Show  how  to  test  working  of  trigger,  hand  and  rebound 

lever. 


Jfo.  9. 

NAVY  REVOLVER— USE  AND  DRILL. 


Preparation.— Read  "Gun  and  Torpedo  Drills"  (1900)  on 
the  manual  for  Colt's  double-action  navy  revolver.  Provide 
a  revolver  and  belt  for  each  apprentice. 

Instruction. — Form  the  class  in  single  rank  and  have  all 
the  revolvers  examined  to  be  sure  there  are  no  stray  cartridges 
in  the  cylinders,  then  return  the  revolvers  to  the  holsters. 

Give  the  first  order  "Draw"  and  explain  accurately  and 
clearly  the  proper  motions. 

The  orders  to  be  used  are  as  follows : 

Commands. 

Draw. 

Load. 

Pack  load. 

(Designating  object)  Aim;  fire. 

(Designating  object)  (—  shots)  Commence  firing. 

Cease  firing. 

Unload. 

Return. 

No  orders  other  than  those  given  in  "Gun  and  Torpedo 
Drills  "  (1900)  will  be  used. 

Each  of  the  above  orders  are  to  be  explained  carefully  first, 
and,  after  each  explanation,  the  boys  will  be  drilled  until 
each  one  is  perfectly  familiar  with  all  the  motions  and  orders. 

(41) 


No.  1C. 


SMALL-ARM  AMMUNITION,  FUSES,  PRIMERS,  AND 
DETONATORS. 


Preparation. — The  instructor  will  provide  several  clips  of 
6-mm.  ammunition;  of  ball,  blank,  and  dummy  cartridges, 
several  cartridge  cases  and  bullets,  also  specimen  boxes  of 
fuses  and  primers. 

Read  carefully  pages  12,  13,  and  20  of  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment's pamphlet,  "  The  U.  S.  Navy  Rifle,  6-mm.  Model,  1895," 
also  pages  26,  27,  and  28  of  the  Navy  Department's  pamphlet, 
' '  Description  of  Ammunition. " 

Instruction. — Exhibit  a  ball  cartridge  and  point  out  the 
cartridge  case,  primer,  bullet,  and  cannelure.  The  cartridge 
case  is  made  of  drawn  brass,  and  has  no  rim,  but  is  provided 
with  a  cannelure  in  which  the  nib  of  the  extractor  engages. 

The  primer  is  similar  to  those  used  in  0.45  caliber  cartridges. 
Exhibit  a  section  of  a  primer  and  explain  its  action. 

The  bullet  is  of  hardened  lead  with  a  jacket  of  cupro- 
nickeled  steel.  The  weight  of  the  bullet  is  135  grains. 

The  ammunition  at  present  issued  to  the  service  is  loaded 
with  33.2  grains  of  Troisdorf  smokeless  powder,  giving  an 
average  velocity  of  2,460  feet  per  second  at  60  feet  from  the 
muzzle. 

The  ammunition  is  furnished  to  the  service  in  steel  clips ; 
five  cartridges  in  a  clip,  and  packed  four  clips  in  a  box,  and 
fifty  boxes  in  a  case. 

The  clip  consists  of  the  clip  body  and  the  locking  wire. 
Exhibit  a  clip  and  explain  its  action. 

The  clips  are  intended  to  be  used  only  once,  and  can  not  be 
depended  on  to  work  satisfactorily  after  the  first  time,  conse- 
quently the  packs  must  not  be  tampered  with  nor  the  loops 
turned  oxcept  in  the  gun. 

(43) 


44 

Fuses. — Two  general  classes  of  fuses  are  used  with  modern 
projectiles,  viz.,  combination  time  and  percussion,  and 
percussion. 

Explain  the  different  parts  of  the  time  fuse,  pointing  out 
each  part  from  a  section  of  the  fuse. 

Exhibit  each  kind  of  fuse  and  name  and  explain  the  action 
of  all  the  parts. 

Fuses  for  the  larger  caliber  shells  have,  in  addition  to  the 
fulminate  cap,  a  small  charge  of  black  powder  to  insure  the 
ignition  of  the  bursting  charge  contained  in  the  projectile. 

It  has  been  found  that  a  drop  of  30  feet  upon  half -inch  steel 
plating  does  not  arm  a  Navy  base  percussion  fuse,  but  a 
drop  of  12  feet  upon  an  armor  plate  will  arm  the  fuse.  Con- 
sequently, while  under  usual  conditions,  dropping  fused 
shells  from  a  considerable  height  will  not  cause  their  explo- 
sion, still  it  is  advisable  to  take  the  greatest  precaution  against 
dropping  them,  for  they  might  strike  a  solid  piece  of  steel 
with  sufficient  force  to  explode  them. 

While  ramming  a  shell  home  in  a  gun  there  is  no  danger 
whatever  of  the  shock  of  a  shell  bringing  up  on  the  compres- 
sion slope  causing  the  fuse  to  be  armed,  for  the  greatest 
velocity  with  which  a  shell  could  be  rammed  home  does  not 
equal  that  due  to  even  a  small  drop. 

Primers. — The  primers  now  in  use  in  the  service  are  either 
percussion  or  electric.  Percussion  primers  are  issued  for  all 
guns.  Those  used  in  tixed  ammunition  are  purchased  from 
private  manufacturers,  while  those  for  the  ordinary  B.  L. 
guns  are  made  at  the  torpedo  station. 

Exhibit  the  various  types  of  percussion  primers  and  then 
explain  the  action. 

Electric  primers  are  made  for  all  guns  of  4-inch  caliber  and 
above. 

Exhibit  an  electric  primer  and  explain  how  the  contact  is 
made  and  the  action  of  the  primer. 

Friction  primers  are  only  used  now  with  the  torpedo - 
launching  tubes. 

Give  a  description  of  detonators,  the  purpose  for  which 
they  are  used,  and  where  they  are  stowed. 


QUESTIONS. 

1.  Name  the  different  parts  of  a  rifle  cartridge. 

2.  Of  what  materials  are  the  following  parts  made :    Case, 

bullet,  and  jacket? 

3.  What  kind  of  powder  is  used? 

4.  What  is  its  muzzle  velocity? 

5.  How  are  the  cartridges  put  up?" 

6.  Name  the  parts  of  the  clip. 

7.  What  kinds  of  fuzes  are  used  in  the  service? 

8.  Explain  the  action  of  the  Navy  time  fuse. 

9.  Name  the  parts  of  the  Schenkle  percussion  fuse. 

10.  What  kinds  of  primers  are  in  use  in  the  service? 

11.  Describe  a  percussion  primer. 

12.  Describe  an  electric  primer. 

13.  Name  the  guns  in  which  electric  primers  can  be  used. 

14.  For  what  purpose  are  friction  primers  used? 

15.  For  what  purpose  are  detonators  used? 

16.  Where  are  they  stowed? 


No.  11. 
1-POUNDER  HOTCHKISS  R.  F.  G.— MECHANISM  AND  DRILL. 


Preparation. — Read  "  Description  of  Modern  Ordnance  in 
the  United  States  Navy,"  pages  37  to  43. 

The  instructor  will  have  one  of  the  1 -pounder  Hotchkiss 
R.  F.  G.  brought  to  the  place  of  instruction,  and  will  see  that 
the  breechblock,  sights,  all  the  spare  parts,  and  the  accessory 
box  are  provided. 

Instruction. — The  1-pounder  Hotchkiss  gun  has  been  made 
in  two  designs.  The  first  one,  known  as  Mark  I,  is  designated 
as  light  1 -pounders,  and  the  gun  proper  was  made  in  one 
piece ;  but  the  issue  of  these  guns  has  been  stopped. 

The  other  design,  known  as  Mark  II,  or  heavy  1-pounder, 
is  the  one  in  use  throughout  the  service,  and  is  made  in  three 
pieces ;  the  tube,  extending  from  the  face  of  the  muzzle  to 
the  face  of  the  breechblock,  comprising  the  whole  length  of 
the  bore ;  the  jacket,  which  is  shrunk  over  the  rear  part  of 
the  tube  and  which  carries  both  the  trunnions  and  breech- 
block; and,  the  locking  ring,  which  is  a  screw  collar  con- 
necting the  tube  and  jacket,  and  which  carries  the  fore- 
sight mass. 

The  bore  is  rifled  with  a  uniform  right-handed  twist  in  the 
American  guns,  and  with  a  left-handed  twist  in  the  French 
guns  (the  two  1 -pounders  at  this  station  are  French  guns  and 
are  similar  to  the  Mark  I  guns). 

The  breechblock  is  a  square,  hollowed,  steel  block,  with 
rounded  corners,  moving  vertically  in  guides  in  a  mortise  cut 
completely  through  the  jacket.  The  front  face  of  the  block 
is  perpendicular  to  the  axis  of  the  bore,  while  the  rear  face 
is  slightly  inclined. 

The  parts  of  the  mechanism  showing  on  the  outside  of  the 
breech  are  the  crank  handles,  rocking  shaft,  cocking  toe, 
cocking  cam,  and  the  stop  bolt. 

(47) 


48 

Point  out  and  explain  the  use  of  each  of  these  parts. 

The  firing  mechanism  within  the  breechblock  consists  of 
the  hammer,  firing  pin,  main  spring,  stirrup,  sear,  and  sear 
spring. 

The  only  other  movable  part  is  the  extractor,  but  this  is  not 
connected  with  the  firing  mechanism. 

Point  out  and  explain  the  working  of  each  part,  and  have 
the  boys  dismount  and  assemble  the  mechanism. 

Explain  how  the  stock  is  secured  to  the  gun. 

Explain  the  markings  on  the  rear  sight  bar. 

The  mount  ordinarily  used  for  these  guns  is  a  cage  stand  in 
which  the  pivot  sets.  The  same  stand  is  used  for  Colt  auto- 
matic 6-mm.  guns  and  Gatling  guns,  an  adapter  being  used 
on  account  of  the  difference  in  the  size  of  the  pivots. 

Show  the  proper  position  to  be  taken  while  loading  the 
gun,  and  what  care  should  be  taken  in  pointing  the  cartridge 
fair. 

Explain  the  probable  cause  of  cartridges  and  cases  jam- 
ming, and  what  means  should  be  taken  to  prevent  and  to 
remedy  the  same. 

Point  out  and  explain  the  use  of  each  of  the  accessories  in 
the  box. 

At  subsequent  periods  of  instruction  station  gun  crews  and 
exercise  them  with  the  guns,  and  especially  in  replacing  sup- 
posed broken  parts. 

(See  table  under  period  No.  12.) 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  How  are  the  different  types  of  1 -pounders  marked? 

2.  By  what  other  terms  are  they  distinguished?     (Light  and 

heavy. ) 

3   In  the  heavy  1 -pounders,  how  many  pieces  are  used  in 
constructing  the  gun  proper? 

4.  What  are  the  names  of  the  various  parts,  and  how  are 

they  arranged? 

5.  In  what  part  of  the  gun  is  the  breechblock  secured? 

6.  Are  the  front  and  rear  faces  of  the  breechblock  parallel? 

7.  Name  the  parts  of  the  mechanism  which  are  seen  on  the 

outside  of  the  gun. 


49 

8.  Name  the  parts  of  the  firing  mechanism. 

9.  Explain  the  action  of  the  extractor. 

10.  How  is  the  stock  secured  to  the  gun? 

11.  How  is  the  rear  sight  bar  marked? 

12.  Remove  the  mainspring  and  put  in  a  spare  one. 

13.  What  kind  of  mount  is  generally  used. 

14.  What  should  be  done  when  the  empty  cartridge  case  is 

jammed  and  can  not  be  extracted? 

8972—4 


No.  18. 

6-POUNDER  HOTCHKISS  R.  F.  G.— MECHANISM  AND  DRILL. 


Preparation. — Read  "Description  of  Modern  Ordnance  in 
the  United  States  Navy,"  pages  43  to  45;  also,  Radford's 
"Hand-Book  on  Naval  Gunnery,"  pages  61  to  73. 

The  instructor  will  have  the  breechblocks  placed  in  the 
guns,  the  sights  on,  and  the  accessory  and  spare-part  boxes  at 
hand. 

Instruction.  —  The  last  period  having  been  upon  the 
1 -pounder  Hotchkiss,  the  instructor  will  call  the  attention  of 
the  apprentices  to  the  similarity  of  the  construction  of  the 
two  guns  and  of  the  mechanism. 

The  breech  mechanism  of  the  Mark  II  6-pounders  is  exactly 
similar  to  that  of  the  Mark  II 1 -pounder. 

The  following  table  gives  some  of  the  characteristics  of  the 
Hotchkiss  1 -pounder  and  6-pounder  R.  F.  guns  in  the  U.  S. 
naval  service : 


1-pounder, 
light. 

1-pounder, 
heavy. 

6-pounder, 
40-caliber. 

6-pounder, 
45-caliber. 

Caliber  inches- 
Weight  pounds 

1.457 
71 

33.15 
29.13 
Uniform  tv 
12 
.0155 
2.8 
1.45 
1319 

.73 
.37 

1.457 

120 

62 
57.98 
ist  of  6°,  or 
12 
.0155 
4.9 
1.65 
1800 

.93 
.43 

2.244 
/810  I 
1785*} 
97.83 
89.76 
one  turn  in 
24 
.012 
30 
9.9 
1818 

2.76 
1.56 

2.244 
795 

108.  86 
100.98 
29.9cal.f 
24 
.012 
30 
9.9 
1870 

2.86 
1.59 

Length  inches 

Length  of  boro_  do 

Twist  of  rifling 

Number  of  grooves.  __  .     

Depth  of  grooves  inches 

Weight  of  charge  ouuces__ 
Weight  of  complete  round  _pounds_- 
Muzzle  velocity  foot-8econds__ 
Steel  perforated  by  steel  shell  at  500 
yards  inches 

2,  000  yards                                  do 

*  Truunionless  gun. 
fThe  Mark  II  6-pounders  have  a  uniform  twist  of  one  turn  in  25  calibers. 

(51) 


52 

The  recoil  mount  used  with  6-pounder  guns  consists  of  a 
single  hydraulic  and  spring  recoil  cylinder,  which,  together 
with  the  carriage  proper,  is  rigidly  secured  to  the  gun,  the 
free  end  of  the  piston  being  attached  to  the  "slide."  The 
slide,  resting  on  trunnions,  gives  the  vertical  motion  to  the 
gun. 

The  instructor  will  illustrate  on  a  blackboard  the  interior 
of  the  recoil  cylinder,  and,  if  practicable,  will  have  a  recoil 
cylinder  dismounted. 

The  liquid  used  in  the  recoil  cylinders  is  composed  of  80  per 
cent  glycerin  and  20  per  cent  fresh  water. 

Explain  the  use  of  the  counter-recoil  spring ;  how  the  sights 
are  marked  and  put  on. 

At  subsequent  periods  of  instruction,  station  guns'  crews 
and  exercise  the  class  in  replacing  supposed  broken  parts. 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  How  many  parts  are  used  in  the   construction  of  the 

6-pounder  Hotchkiss  R.  F.  G.  V 

2.  What  are  the  names  of  the  various  parts  and  how  are  they 

arranged  ? 

3.  How  is  the  rear  sight  bar  marked  V 

4.  What  kind  of  a  mount  is  used  for  6-pounders  '! 

5.  What  is  the  caliber  in  inches  of  this  gun  ? 

6.  What  is  the  weight  of  this  gun  ? 

7.  How  many  grooves  are  there  in  the  rifling '.' 

8.  What  is  the  twist  of  the  rifling  ? 

9.  What  is  the  weight  of  the  charge  ? 

10.  What  is  the  weight  of  the  complete  round  ? 

11.  What  is  the  muzzle  velocity  ? 

12.  What  is  the  object  of  having  the  recoil  cylinder  ? 

13.  What  is  the  counter-recoil  spring  ? 

14.  What  liquid  is  used  in  the  recoil  cylinder  1 


No.  13. 

4-INCH  R.  F.  G.— MECHANISM, 


Preparation. — The  class  will  be  taken  to  the  Vicksburg,  or 
wherever  there  are  4-inch  R.  F.  guns,  and  the  instructor  will 
see  that  all  the  appurtenances  of  the  guns  are  in  place. 

Read  "Description  of  Modern  Ordnance  in  the  United 
States  Navy,"  pages  3  to  10,  also  "Radford's  Handbook  on 
Naval  Gunnery,"  pages  23  to  29  and  49  to  53. 

Instruction. — There  are  four  marks  of  4  inch  guns,  but  all 
are  of  the  same  construction,  differing  only  in  the  form  of 
chamber  or  of  breech  mechanism. 

The  Mark  I  has  the  ordinary  slotted  screw-breech  mechan- 
ism with  De  Bange  gas  check.  There  are  but  four  guns  of 
this  type,  Nos.  1,  2,  3  and  6. 

The  Mark  II  is  a  rapid-fire  gun,  using  fixed  ammunition  and 
fitted  with  breech  mechanism  of  the  Driggs-Schroeder  type. 
There  are  only  two  guns  of  this  type,  Nos.  4  and  5. 

The  Mark  III  uses  the  same  fixed  ammunition  as  the  Mark 
II  gun,  and  differs  from  it  only  in  having  a  slotted-screw 
mechanism  of  the  Dashiell  type.  All  4-inch  guns  from  No.  7 
upward  are  of  this  mark. 

Mark  IV  differs  from  Mark  III  in  that  the  gun  recoils 
through  the  sleeve,  and  the  sleeve  and  two  recoil  cylinders 
are  in  one  piece. 

Each  gun  is  composed  of  five  principal  parts:  Tube,  jacket, 
A  hoop,  B  hoop,  and  breech  plug. 

The  A  hoop  is  put  over  the  front  end  of  the  jacket  with  a 
reverse  cone,  and  thus  locks  the  tube  into  the  jacket.  The 
4-inch  guns  are  trunnionless,  being  held  in  the  mount  by  the 
projecting  sides  of  a  bronze  sleeve  or  band  that  screws  on  to 
the  gun.  The  hydraulic  recoil  cylinder  forms  a  part  of  this 

(53) 


54 

sleeve,  and,  when  in  place,  is  directly  beneath  the  gun.  This 
bronze  sleeve  is  not  removed  in  mounting  but  goes  with  the 
gun. 

The  following  is  the  nomenclature  of  the  Dashiell  breech 
mechanism : 

Plug,  Extractor  keeper  screw, 

Face  plate,  Extractor  lug, 

Combined  collar  and  tray,        Trigger, 

Hand  lever,  Trigger  bracket, 

Rotating  rack,  Trigger  spring, 

Rotating-rack  stud,  Releaser, 

Hand  grasp,  Releaser  spring, 

Translating  arm,  Firing  pin, 

Translating-arm  pin,  Firing-pin  spring, 

Fulcrum  pin,  Sleeve  for  firing  pin, 

Hinge  pin,  Firing-pin  guard, 

Tray  latch,  Cocking  lever, 

Tray  catch,  Cocking-lever  bracket. 

Extractor, 

The  instructor  will  point  out  each  of  the  above  parts  and 
will  carefully  explain  its  object  and  how  it  acts. 

If  a  cartridge  case  sticks  and  the  extractor  will  not  bring 
it  out,  close  the  plug,  pull  the  extractor  as  far  to  the  rear  as 
possible,  and  then  (using  a  screw-driver  as  a  lever)  pry  the 
rear  end  of  the  extractor  toward  the  center  of  the  breech  plug 
until  its  forward  hook  is  sprung  clear  of  the  rim  of  the  car- 
tridge case.  The  breech  can  then  be  opened  and  a  powerful 
hand  extractor  used  to  bring  out  the  empty  case. 

These  guns  are  fitted  either  with  bar  sights  or  telescopic 
sights.  The  rear  bar  sight  is  marked  on  the  left  side  with 
ranges  up  to  7,600  yards,  on  the  front  side  with  degrees  of 
elevation  to  15°,  and  on  the  right  side  with  times  of  flight  to 
20  seconds. 

The  permanent  inclination  of  the  4-inch  sight  bar  is  2°  45' 
to  the  left,  and  the  rear  sight  head  when  at  level  is  0. 1  inch 
to  the  left  of  the  front  sight ;  this  corrects  for  drift. 

The  muzzle  velocity  given  by  a  full  charge  of  brown  pow- 
der in  the  4-inch  gun  is  2,000  foot-seconds,  and  the  sights  are 
marked  for  this  velocity. 


55 


4-INCH  R.  F.  G.,  MARK  III. 

Weight  _ .                               pounds . .  3, 400 

Length .  inches. .  164 

Travel  of  projectile ...do..  132.12 

Weight  of  charge  (brown  powder)  .pounds. .  13.5 

Weight  of  projectile do_ .  33 

Chamber  pressure tons.-  15 

Velocity  at — 

Muzzle foot-seconds- .  2,000 

1,000  yards do..  1,657 

2,000  yards do..  1,364 

2,500yards ....do._  1,246 

Steel  which  shell  will  perforate  at — 

Muzzle inches..  7.2 

1,000  yards  ...                                  do..  5.5 

2,000  yards  _ do..  4.2 

2,500  yards ---                                  do..  3.7 

Weight  of  fixed  ammunition  .       _ .pounds. .  58 

Number  of  grooves 30 

Twist  of  rifling zero  to  1  in  25  calibers. 

The  following  parts  of  the  gun  mount  are  to  be  pointed  out 
and  carefully  explained : 

Pivot  stand,  top  carriage,  oscillating  slide,  and  the  com- 
bined sleeve  and  recoil  cylinder. 

After  the  class  has  been  thoroughly  instructed  in  the 
mechanism,  etc.,  of  the  4-inch  R.  F.  G.,  the  other  periods 
will  be  devoted  to  drill  in  accordance  with  the  ' '  Gunnery 
Drill  Book,"  and  whenever  possible  subcaliber  practice  will 
be  held. 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  What  type  of  4-inch  is  used  at  this  station? 

2.  What  kind  of  breech  mechanism  is  used? 

3.  Of  how  many  pieces  is  a  4-inch  R.  F.  G.  built  up? 

4.  Point  out  and  name  the  various  parts? 

5.  Point  out  and  name  the  principal  parts  of  the  breech 

mechanism. 

6.  Suppose  a  cartridge  case  sticks  and  the  extractor  will  not 

bring  it  out,  what  should  be  done? 

7.  What  kind  of  sights  are  used? 


56 

8.  How  are  the  bar  sights  marked? 

9.  How  are  the  telescopic  sights  marked? 

10.  What  is  the  muzzle  velocity? 

11.  For  what  velocity  are  the  sights  marked? 

12.  What  is  the  weight  of  the  projectile? 

13.  How  many  grooves  are  there? 
14  What  is  the  twist  of  the  rifling? 

15.  What  are  the  principal  parts  of  the  gun  mount? 

16.  How  many  men  compose  a  gun  crew? 

17.  What  are  the  duties  of  No.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8  at  the  order 

load? 

18.  What  are  the  duties  of  No.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8  at  the  order 

point? 


No.  14. 

SUB-CALIBER  TARGET  PRACTICE 

WITH 

HOTCHKISS  6-POUNDER  R.  F.  G.,  MOUNTED  ON  SHORE. 


Preparation. — Lay  out  two  small  floating  targets,  of  differ- 
ent color,  one  anchored  at  400  yards,  the  other  at  600  yards 
range,  and  about  400  yards  apart.  See  that  the  6-pounders 
are  ready  for  use.  Provide  a  box  of  drill  cartridges  for  each 
gun,  and  six  boxes  of  0.45-caliber  ammunition.  Provide  a 
bench  well  in  rear  of  each  gun  for  apprentices  not  in  crew. 
Prepare  list  of  apprentices,  to  be  used  in  keeping  record  of 
firing.  Refresh  memory  by  reading  "Gun  and  Torpedo 
Drills"  (1900),  and  pages  235-250  "Ingersoll's  Ordnance  and 
Gunnery"  (1894). 

Selection  of  Crews. — This  subcaliber  practice  is  to  be  car- 
ried on  in  connection  with  the  gallery  target  practice,  and, 
from  the  division  and  class  having  a  period  at  that  instruction, 
select  not  over  twenty  apprentices.  Divide  them  equally 
between  the  two  guns.  Station  crews  at  each  gun  and  a 
"  No.  5  "  to  prepare  drill  cartridges. 

Instruction  Preliminary  to  Firing. — Lay  the  gun  on  the 
target  so  that  the  line  of  sight  will  bear  on  the  lower  edge  of 
the  bull's-eye  or  some  other  distinctive  part  of  the  target, 
using  a  medium  sight.  Clamp  the  gun  in  that  position ;  and 
have  each  of  the  apprentices  look  over  the  sights  in  order 
that  they  may  understand  their  proper  use.  Before,  and,  if 
necessary,  during  the  firing,  explain  how  to  make  allowance 
for  the  effect  of  wind.  Show  how  to  find  the  range  by  the 
establishment  of  a  fork.  (See  Ingersoll,  page  242.) 

Important  Points. — Particular  attention  should  be  given 
to  the  following  points :  Accessory  box  should  be  on  right  of 

(57) 


58 

gun  within  easy  reach  of  No.  2.  No.  1  should  brace  himself 
firmly  with  the  feet  well  spread,  as  though  the  gun  were  on 
board  ship;  he  should  keep  the  gun  trained  on  the  target 
with  the  trigger  lanyard  in  hand  all  the  time ;  he  should  see 
that  the  loading  is  done  properly  and  sight  set  correctly,  but 
he  should  not,  under  any  circumstances,  assist  in  loading  or 
touch  the  sights.  He  should  fire  the  gun  by  a  steady  pull  of 
trigger  lanyard — not  with  a  jerk.  He  should  continue  to 
keep  his  shoulder  to  the  stock  until  he  is  relieved  or  the  gun 
is  clamped. 

No.  2  should  stand  close  to  breech  ready  to  grasp  the 
crank  handles  the  moment  the  gun  is  fired.  He  should  close 
the  breech  with  a  snap  after  the  cartridge  is  pushed  in.  (See 
"  Gun  and  Torpedo  Drills,"  1900.) 

No.  3  should  always  have  a  cartridge  ready  to  load  as  soon 
as  breech  is  opened;  he  should  point  the  cartridge  fairly, 
being  careful  not  to  strike  the  point  against  face  of  chamber, 
then  push  it  in  smartly  until  the  rim  brings  up  against  the 
extractor. 

No.  4,  in  addition  to  the  duties  assigned  to  him  by  the  drill 
book,  will  catch  the  empty  drill  cartridge  as  it  is  extracted, 
being  careful  not  to  let  it  fall,  as  the  rim  is  easily  burred. 

Firing. — Each  apprentice,  as  No.  1,  will  fire  a  string  of  five 
carefully  aimed  shots  at  one  of  the  targets.  The  probable 
cause  of  errors  of  each  shot  will  be  explained.  After  the 
fifth  shot,  order  ' '  Cease  firing, "  when  the  gun  will  be  clamped 
in  position  for  "secure,"  and  the  sight  bar  lowered.  Then 
order  "Change  stations:"  No.  1  takes  his  seat  at  left  end  of 
bench,  the  apprentice  at  the  right  end  becomes  No.  5,  the 
other  numbers  at  the  gun  advance  to  the  next  higher  station. 
Then  give  range  and  target  to  be  fired  at.  Continue  until  all 
have  in  turn  fired  five  shots. 

Then  a  second  string  of  five  shots  will  be  fired  by  each 
apprentice,  shifting  from  one  target  to  the  other  frequently 
as  ordered,  adjusting  the  sight  for  the  new  range  at  each 
change  of  target.  If  time  permits,  a  third  string  of  five  shots 
will  be  fired,  under  similar  conditions  as  the  second  string, 
but  with  increased  rapidity  of  fire. 


•  59 

The  principal  object  of  this  subcaliber  practice  is  to 
accustom  the  apprentices  to  the  use  of  the  sights,  but  the 
instructors  must  require  all  movements  in  working  the  guns 
and  handling  the  ammunition  to  conform  to  the  regular  drill 
as  laid  down  in  the  "Gunnery  Drill  Book." 

Record. — The  instructors  will  keep  a  careful  record  of  the 
proficiency  shown  by  each  apprentice  as  gun  pointers,  assign- 
ing marks  ranging  from  0  to  5. 


Xo.  15. 

6-POUNDER  DRIGGS-SCHROEDER  R.  F.  G. 


Preparation.— Read  "Description  of  Modern  Ordnance  in 
the  United  States  Navy,"  pages  45  to  50;  also,  Eadford's 
"Handbook  on  Naval  Gunnery,"  pages  73  to  82. 

The  instructor  will  see  that  the  breech  blocks  are  placed  in 
the  guns,  the  sights  on,  and  the  accessory  and  spare  part  boxes 
at  hand. 

Instruction,— The  class  having  already  had  the  instruction 
on  Hotchkiss  6-pounder  and  1 -pounder  guns,  it  will  only  be 
necessary  to  call  attention  to  the  difference  in  the  mechanism 
of  the  two  types  of  guns. 

These  guns  use  the  same  ammunition  as  the  corresponding 
Hotchkiss  guns,  are  of  the  same  general  form  and  construc- 
tion, and  fit  the  same  mounts. 

The  guns  are  all  built  up,  consisting  of  a  tube,  jacket  and 
hoop,  with  a  breechblock  engaging  in  the  jacket. 

The  breech  mechanism,  consisting  of  the  breechblock,  firing 
mechanism,  and  extractors,  is  fitted  in  the  rear  end  of  the 
jacket,  which  forms  a  housing  and  protection  for  it. 

The  breechblock  is  a  steel  block  recessed  on  its  underside, 
and  fitted  on  its  upper  surface  with  locking  bands  and  on  either 
side  with  grooves  and  guide  ways. 

The  block  is  held  in  place  by  the  cam,  by  a  stud  and  guide 
pins  taking  in  the  side  grooves,  and,  when  up,  by  the  upper 
bands  taking  in  corresponding  grooves  on  the  interior  of  the 
jacket. 

The  cam  is  fitted  in  the  recess  in  the  center  of  the  block, 
and  is  mounted  on  the  crank  bolt,  which,  extending  through 
the  block  and  both  jaws  of  the  jacket,  has  attached  to  its  left 
end  the  crank  handle. 

The  crank  or  main  bolt  does  not  fit  snugly  in  the  block,  but 
works  through  an  elongated  opening,  which  permits  the  block 

(01) 


to  descend  and  disengage  the  bands  from  the  corresponding 
grooves  in  the  breech. 

The  instructor  will  point  out  and  explain  the  action  of  the 
cam,  main  bolt,  firing  pin,  sear,  sear  spring,  and  extractors. 

The  gun  can  not  be  fired  before  the  breech  is  closed,  as  the 
trigger  is  not  in  place  and  the  firing  pin  is  not  in  line. 

One  of  the  advantages  of  this  mechanism  is,  that  the  piece 
can  be  brought  to  a  half  or  full  cock  without  opening  and 
closing  the  breech. 

The  lands  and  grooves  of  the  rifling  of  the  Driggs-Schroeder 
guns  are  the  same  in  number  and  dimensions  as  in  the  Hotch- 
kiss  gun,  but  the  twist,  instead  of  being  uniform,  is  increasing, 
beginning  at  zero  and  ending  at  one  turn  in  26  calibers.  The 
rifling  is  right-handed  in  these  guns. 

QUESTIONS, 

1.  In  what  respect  does  the  Driggs-Schroeder  R.  F.  G.  differ 

from  the  Hotchkiss  R.  F.  G.  ? 

2.  Name  the  various  parts  of  the  breech  mechanism. 

3.  Explain  the  action  of  the  cam. 

4.  How  many  grooves  are  there  in  the  riflings  ? 

5.  What  kind  of  twist  is  used  ? 

6.  Explain  the  action  of  the  extractors. 

7.  How  many  extractors  are  there  ? 

8.  When  the  breech  is  closed,  how  is  the  block  held  in  place  ? 

9.  Why  can  not  the  gun  be  fired  until  the  breechblock  is 

completely  closed  ? 

10.  How  does  opening  the  breech  affect  the  extractor  ? 

11.  How  is  the  firing  pin  fitted  ? 


No.  16  % 

B.  L.  R'S  OF  THE  MAIN  BATTERY. 


Preparation. — Bead  "Description  of  Modern  Ordnance  in 
the  United  States  Navy,"  pages  3  and  4,  also  pages  13  to  31; 
also,  Ingersoll's  "Text-book  of  Ordnance  and  Gunnery" 
(1899),  pages  34  to  85. 

Instruction. — The  calibers  of  B.  L.  R.  guns  made  are  4-inch, 
5-inch,  6-inch,  8-inch,  10-inch,  12-inch,  and  13-inch.  The 
system  of  construction  and  the  methods  of  manufacture  are 
the  same  for  all  these  guns.  Each  gun  is  built  up  of  a  number 
of  forged-steel  parts;  the  4-inch  and  5-inch  being  composed  of 
a  tube,  jacket,  and  two  chase  hoops,  and  the  larger  guns  have 
a  third  layer  of  jacket  hoops  and  other  chase  hoops,  in  some 
cases  extending  to  the  muzzle.  These  parts  are  assembled  by 
shrinkage. 

The  slotted-screw  breech  mechanism  is  used  in  all  these 
guns,  the  plug  engaging  in  the  jacket  of  the  gun,  and  the  gas 
check  being  on  the  De  Bange  principle. 

The  f orgings  used  for  these  guns  are  made  from  open-hearth 
steel  ingots,  cast  solid,  and  weighing  about  twice  as  much  as 
the  finished  piece  requires.  For  hoops,  and  sometimes  for 
jackets  and  tubes,  the  ingot  is  bored  and  then  forged  on  a 
mandrel,  otherwise  it  is  forged  solid. 

After  boring  the  piece  is  rough  bored  and  turned  nearly  to 
finished  dimensions.  The  forging  is  then  annealed.  After 
this  specimens  are  cut  from  the  ends  and  broken  in  the  testing 
machines,  to  ascertain  if  the  metal  is  equal  to  the  required 
strength. 

The  finishing  and  assembling  of  the  f  orgings  is  done  at  the 
Washington  Navy  Yard,  at  the  gun  factory. 

The  forgings  having  all  been  made,  the  tube  is  turned  to  the 
finished  dimensions ;  the  jacket  is  turned  on  the  inside 

(63) 


64 

slightly  smaller  diameter  than  the  outside  diameter  of  the 
tube,  then  the  tube  is  set  up  vertically  in  the  shrinking  pit, 
and  the  jacket,  having  been  expanded  by  heat,  is  lowered 
down  over  it  and  then  allowed  to  cool,  when  the  jacket  shrinks 
fast  into  its  place.  Then  the  jacket  hoops  and  chase  hoops 
are  shrunk  on  in  the  same  manner.  The  gun  is  then  finish  - 
bored,  the  chamber  is  bored  out,  and  the  compression  slope 
and  gas  check  slope  are  reamed  out,  and  the  screw  box  is  then 
threaded,  and  the  exterior  is  finish-turned. 

Whenever,  in  machining,  it  is  necessary  to  cut  away  the 
marks  on  a  forging  (placed  there  by  the  inspector  who  tested 
and  accepted  the  forging),  they  are  transferred  to  another 
part  of  the  piece,  so  that  in  the  finished  gun  each  part  can 
be  identified. 

Finally  the  gun  is  rifled,  the  screw-box  blanks  are  cut  out, 
the  breech  mechanism  is  fitted,  the  gun  is  sighted,  and,  after 
proof  firing  at  the  proving  grounds,  is  ready  for  issue  to  the 
service. 

The  number  of  grooves  is  always  four  times  the  caliber, 
except  for  the  4-inch  and  5-inch  R.  F.  guns,  which  have  thirty 
grooves. 

The  10-inch,  12-inch,  and  13-inch  guns  have  no  trunnions; 
this  is  also  the  case  with  4-inch,  5-inch,  and  6-inch  rapid-firing 
guns,  and  of  the  latest  model  of  8-inch  gun. 

In  place  of  trunnions  the  heavy  guns  are  provided  with 
deep,  wide  scores  cut  in  the  forward  jacket  hoop,  allowing 
heavy  gun  straps  to  be  used  to  hold  the  gun  to  the  saddle  of 
the  gun  mount.  In  addition,  two  rings  are  shrunk  on  over 
the  gun  cylinder,  further  to  the  rear,  for  two  straps,  to  secure 
the  gun  to  the  rear  end  of  the  saddle. 

Sights. — The  sights  of  all  B.  L.  R.  guns  are  placed  on  one 
side  of  the  gun.  In  many  of  the  guns  now  in  the  service  the 
bar  sights  are  used.  The  instructor  will  illustrate  on  the 
blackboard  how  these  sights  are  arranged  and  show  their 
general  shape.  But  telescopic  sights  are  now  being  fitted  to 
all  guns  of  4-inch  caliber  and  up,  whether  mounted  in  broad- 
side or  in  turrets.  The  sights  for  all  guns  are  similar  to  those 
in  use  on  the  4-inch  guns  at  this  station. 

For  finding  the  target  a  set  of  ordinary  sights  is  fitted  to 
the  top  of  the  telescope. 


65 


QUESTIONS. 

1.  Where  are  B.  L.  R.'s  for  the  Navy  made  ? 

2.  Of  what  material  are  they  made  ? 

3.  How  are  the  various  parts  put  together  ? 

4.  What  system  of  gas  check  is  used  ? 

5.  How  many  grooves  are  there  in  the  8-inch  gun  ? 

6.  What  is  the  general  rule  for  finding  the  number  of  grooves  ? 

7.  What  guns  have  no  trunnions  ? 

8.  How  are  these  guns  secured  to  the  saddle  of  the  gun 

mount  ? 

9.  Where  are  the  sights  placed  ? 

10.  What  kinds  of  sights  are  used  ? 

11.  Describe  briefly  a  telescopic  sight. 

12.  How  is  a  bar  sight  marked  ? 

13.  What  marks  can  be  found  on  all  guns  ? 

8972—5 


No.  17. 

GUNPOWDER,  GUN  COTTON,  AND  OTHER  EXPLOSIVES. 


Preparation. — Read  Ingersoll's  "Text-book  of  Ordnance 
and  Gunnery"  (1899),  pages  209  to  237  and  Radford's  "  Hand- 
book on  Naval  Gunnery,"  pages  118  to  124.  The  instructor 
will  have  the  box  of  sample  powders  at  hand  to  illustrate  the 
instruction. 

Instruction. — The  explosives  now  used  for  all  guns  and  for 
the  bursting  charges  of  shells  for  ordinary  work  is  gunpowder. 
The  ideal  powder  is  that  which  would,  on  ignition  of  the 
charge,  burn  in  such  a  manner  that  the  pressure  would  rise 
rather  quickly  to  the  maximum  allowed,  and  thereafter  main- 
tain that  pressure  throughout  the  bore  while  the  projectile 
is  traveling  from  its  seat  to  the  muzzle.  Such  a  powder  is 
called  progressive. 

The  kinds  of  gunpowder  in  use  to-day  are  black  powder, 
brown  powder,  and  smokeless  powder. 

Black  Powder. — Is  a  mixture  of  charcoal,  sulphur,  and 
saltpeter.  The  use  of  black  powder  in  the  naval  service  is 
confined  to  its  employment  as  secondary  or  ignition  charges, 
for  igniting  the  main  charges. 

Brown  Powder,  also  styled  from  its  color,  cocoa  powder, 
differs  from  black  powder  in  the  proportions  of  its  ingredients, 
and  has  superior  ballistic  properties.  It  is  a  mixture  of  15 
parts  of  imperfectly  charred  wood  with  80  parts  of  saltpeter ; 
a  trace,  or  very  small  amount  of  sulphur  being  added.  This 
mixture  is  thoroughly  ground  under  edge  runners  and  the 
dust  thus  made  is  formed  into  regular  grains  by  strong 
hydraulic  pressure. 

More  saltpeter  is  employed  in  the  powder  for  the  large 
calibers  than  in  those  for  the  small.  A  small  amount  of 
sugar  (not  over  4  per  cent)  is  added,  which,  in  connection 

(G7) 


68 

with  the  water  employed  for  moistening  the  mixed  ingredients, 
acts  as  a  cementing  agent,  binding  the  particles  together  and 
making  the  grain  dense. 

Like  black  powder,  brown  powder  has  the  disadvantage  of 
producing  a  large  amount  of  smoke  upon  discharge  and  of 
depositing  considerable  amounts  of  residue  in  the  bore,  there- 
by necessitating  frequent  and  careful  sponging,  which  delays 
the  firing. 

Smokeless  powders  derive  their  name  from  the  fact  that 
they  produce  little  or  no  smoke  on  the  discharge  of  the  gun. 
The  chief  advantage  to  be  derived  from  their  use,  however, 
is  that  they  develop  greatly  improved  ballistic  qualities,  giv- 
ing velocities  about  25  per  cent  greater  than  with  brown 
powder. 

Upon  firing,  the  ingredients  of  black  and  brown  powders 
are  only  partly  converted  into  gases,  and  they  leave  an  un- 
consumed  solid  residue  in  the  form  of  smoke  and  bore  deposit ; 
while  in  the  case  of  smokeless  powder,  all  the  ingredients  are 
transformed  into  gases,  leaving  no  residue. 

Smokeless  powder  requires  careful  watching  at  all  times, 
as,  if  there  are  any  impurities  present,  they  are  liable  to  show 
decomposition,  which  might  result  in  spontaneous  combus- 
tion, or  excessive  bore  pressures  when  used  in  the  guns. 

The  temperature  at  which  smokeless  powder  ignites  (400°  F. ) 
is  much  lower  that  of  black  or  brown  powders,  which  is  about 
600°  F.  The  former,  however,  is  much  less  susceptible  to 
ignition  by  friction  than  the  latter. 

Some  of  the  more  important  advantages  of  smokeless  pow- 
der are :  Absence  of  smoke ;  leaves  no  residue ;  the  reduced 
weight  of  the  charge  makes  it  easier  to  handle  and  promotes 
rapidity  of  fire ;  higher  velocities,  leading  to  increased  range, 
accuracy,  rapidity  of  flight  of  projectile,  and  penetration. 

Naval  smokeless  powder  has  the  same  composition  for  all 
calibers,  from  the  13-inch  gun  to  the  6-rnm.  rifle.  The  size  of 
the  grain  varies,  however,  with  the  caliber. 

It  is  translucent  and  of  a  yellow  color.  The  form  of  grain 
for  the  6 -mm.  small  arm  is  the  flat  rectangular ;  for  all  other 
calibers  the  multi-perforated  cylinder  is  at  present  employed. 

Explain  the  manufacture  as  given  on  pages  284,  235,  and 
236  of  "Ingersoll's  Text-book." 


69 

The  only  other  explosives  used  in  the  service  are  gun  cotton 
and  fulminate  of  mercury.  • 

Gun  cotton  is  used  in  the  warheads  of  torpedoes  and  for  the 
explosive  charges  of  mines,  and  is  being  tried  as  a  bursting 
charge  for  special  shells  with  B.  L.  K.  guns. 

Gun  cotton  is  produced  by  the  action  of  sulphuric  and 
nitric  acids  on  cellulose.  In  the  Navy  it  is  made  up  in  square 
disks  and  is  stored  in  the  gun-cotton  rooms  in  a  wet  condi- 
tion. 

A  certain  number  of  disks  are  dried  for  use  as  primers, 
and  are  stored,  a  small  number  in  separate  places,  on  the  upper 
deck,  and  are  subject  to  weekly  inspection. 

Fulminate  of  mercury  is  prepared  by  dissolving  1  part  of 
mercury  in  12  of  nitric  acid.  When  the  mercury  is  dissolved, 
11  parts  of  alcohol  are  added.  A  brisk  action  takes  place  and 
crystals  of  fulminate  are  formed.  After  a  while  the  vessel  is 
filled  with  water  and  the  crystals  allowed  to  settle,  when  it 
is  collected  and  dried. 

When  dry  it  must  be  handled  with  the  greatest  of  care,  as 
it  will  explode  by  friction  or  percussion. 

When  wet  it  will  not  explode.  Its  force  is  not  much  greater 
than  that  of  gunpowder,  but  it  is  much  more  sudden  in  its 
action. 

QUESTIONS . 

1.  What  kinds  of  gunpowder  are  used? 

2.  What  are  the  ingredients  of  black  powder? 

3.  For  what  purposes  is  black  powder  used? 

4.  What  are  the  ingredients  of  brown  powder? 

5.  For  what  purposes  is  brown  powder  used? 

6.  How  is  brown  powder  issued  for  use? 

7.  What  great  disadvantages  has  brown  powder? 

8.  What  advantages  has  smokeless  powder? 

9.  Why  must  smokeless  powder  be  inspected  frequently? 

10.  At  what  temperature  does  smokeless  powder  ignite? 

11.  At  what  temperature  does  brown  powder  ignite? 

12.  What  shape  are  the  grains  of  smokeless  powder  made? 

13.  What  other  explosives  are  used? 

14.  What  is  gun  cotton? 

15.  What  is  fulminate  of  mercury? 

16.  For  what  is  fulminate  of  mercury  used? 


Xo.  18. 

PROJECTILES  FOR  B.  L.  R's. 


Preparation. — Read  Ingersoll's  "Text-book  of  Ordnance 
and  Gunnery  "  (1899),  pages  238  to  246  to  248;  also  Radford's 
"Handbook  of  Naval  Gunnery,"  pages  105  to  112  and  116 
and  117.  Have  all  the  various  kinds  of  projectiles  at  hand 
ready  for  use  in  illustrating  the  instruction. 

Instruction. — There  are  three  kinds  of  projectiles,  viz: 
Common  shell,  armor -piercing  shell,  and  shrapnel. 

Common  shell  is  used  for  all  calibers  of  guns,  and  are  now 
made  of  forged  or  cast  steel.  They  have  base  plugs  of  steel, 
and  base  fuses  are  now  used  exclusively. 

A  new  feature  for  the  6-inch  and  heavier  calibers  is  the 
extractor  score  near  the  base  of  the  shell,  to  allow  the  shell 
extractor  to  take  hold  in  case  the  gun  is  to  be  unloaded. 

The  bursting  charges  now  supplied  are  of  a  fine-grained 
black  powder,  called  rifle  powder ;  they  are  no  longer  placed 
in  burster  bags,  but  are  poured  into  the  shell  cavity,  and  well 
shaken  down  to  get  as  much  powder  into  the  shell  as  possible. 

Armor-piercing  shells  are  used  in  all  guns  except  the  47- 
mm.  R.  C.,  and  do  not  have  bursting  charges,  except  in  the 
case  of  the  1,  3,  and  6  pounder  R.  F.  guns,  whose  armor- 
piercing  shells  are  loaded  and  fused  in  the  same  manner  as 
common  shell.  The  weights  of  armor-piercing  shell  are  the 
same  as  the  common  shell  for  all  calibers. 

Armor-piercing  shells  are  made  of  forged,  oil-tempered 
steel  by  special  process,  to  make  great  hardiness  of  point  and 
toughness  of  body.  It  is  expected  that  armor-piercing  shell, 
not  loaded,  will  penetrate  into  steel  armor,  not  specially  hard- 
ened, without  being  broken.  There  are  no  sharp  angles  in 
the  cavity  to  form  lines  of  weakness. 

In  order  to  assist  the  shell  in  its  attack  on  hard-faced 
armor,  and  to  .assist  in  biting  into  an  armor  plate,  all  armor- 
piercing  shells  are  now  fitted  with  a  soft-steel  cap.  This  pro- 
tects the  sharp  point  of  the  shell  and  supports  the  head  on  its 
first  impact  with  face-hardened  armor. 

(71) 


72 

Shrapnel. — Both  cast  iron  and  steel  shrapnel  have  been 
issued  for  guns  from  4  to  8  inches  in  caliber ;  but  in  future 
only  steel  shrapnel  will  be  issued. 

They  are  made  with  comparatively  thin  walls  and  with  a 
solid  base ;  the  head  is  nearly  hemispherical  in  shape,  is  made 
of  cast  iron,  and  is  fitted  with  screw-threads  to  attach  to  steel 
body.  A  time  fuse  is  screwed  into  the  nose.  The  central  portion 
consists  of  a  tin  case,  with  a  cast-iron  base,  and  the  case  is 
filled  with  iron  balls  around  a  central  tube  of  gas  pipe.  The 
number  of  balls  in  the  4-inch  shrapnel  is  about  270. 

The  bursting  charges  are  very  small,  simply  enough  to 
crack  the  wall  of  the  shrapnel. 

The  rotating  band  for  all  projectiles  is  of  copper,  and  is 
forced  into  an  undercut  score  on  the  surface  of  the  projectile, 
near  the  base,  by  hydraulic  pressure,  after  which  it  is 
machined  to  the  proper  size. 

The  practice  of  painting  projectiles  has  been  discontinued 
and  hereafter  all  projectiles  will  be  oiled  instead. 

Projectiles  are  marked  as  follows : 

On  the  base,  with  the  place  and  year  of  manufacture,  and 
the  material  and  weight  of  projectile ;  on  the  rotating  band, 
with  the  initials  and  stamp  of  the  inspector;  material  is 
indicated  by  the  letters  C.  I.  (cast  iron),  C.  S.  (cast  steel),  and 
F.  S.  (forged  steel) ;  all  referring  to  common  shell. 

Armor-piercing  shells  are  designated  by  the  letters  A.  P. 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  What  projectiles  are  used  in  B.  L.  R's? 

2.  Of  what  material  is  common  shell  made? 

3.  What  kind  of  fuses  are  now  used? 

4.  What  is  the  extractor  score? 

5.  What  kind  of  powder  is  used  for  the  bursting  charge? 

6.  What  calibers  of  A.  P.  shell  are  made? 

7.  Do  they  have  bursting  charges? 

8.  For  what  purpose  is  the  cap  put  on  A.  P.  shells? 

9.  Of  what  material  is  the  cap  made? 

10.  What  calibers  use  shrapnel? 

11.  Describe  a  shrapnel. 

12.  What  is  the  purpose  of  rotating  band? 

13.  How  is  it  put  on  the  shell? 

14.  What  marks  are  placed  on  shells? 


No.  1». 

MAXIM  AUTOMATIC  1-POUNDER. 


Preparation.— Read  Radford's  "Handbook  of  Naval  Gun- 
nery," pages  249  to  255,  also  the  Department  pamphlet  on  the 
gun. 

The  instructor  will  see  that  the  gun  is  ready  for  use,  and 
the  spare  article  and  accessory  boxes  are  at  hand. 

Instruction. — This  gun  consists  of  two  parts,  viz,  the  recoil- 
ing and  the  nonrecoiling.  The  recoiling  portion  is  the  barrel, 
the  recoil  plates,  the  lock  and  crank,  and  the  crank  handle. 

The  barrel  is  provided  with  trunnions,  to  which  the  recoil 
plates  are  attached.  At  the  rear  end  of  the  recoil  plates  is  the 
crank  with  connecting  rod,  to  which  the  mechanism  is  secured 
by  means  of  a  bayonet  lock. 

The  shaft  of  the  crank  passes  through  the  outside  plates ;  to 
this  shaft  are  fixed  the  volute  side  spring  inclosed  in  a  gun- 
metal  box  on  the  left-hand  side,  and  on  the  right-hand  side 
the  roller  handle,  which,  when  the  lock  is  closed,  rests  against 
the  roller  attached  to  the  outside  plate. 

The  nonrecoiling  part  of  the  gun  consists  of  the  casing  or 
frame,  the  water  jacket,  and  the  rear  block.  The  casing  is 
secured  to  the  water  jacket  and  rear  block  by  dovetails. 

A  hydraulic  buffer  is  fitted  to  the  outer  part  of  the  rear 
block  for  controlling  the  recoil. 

On  the  right-hand  side  of  the  rear  block  is  the  pistol  grip 
holding  the  trigger,  and  also  a  socket  for  the  rear  sight. 

On  the  left-hand  side  of  the  gun  case  is  the  volute  spring 
connected  with  the  crank  shaft. 

The  gun-metal  water  jacket  surrounding  the  barrel  is  fitted 
with  three  openings — one  for  receiving  the  water,  one  for 
drawing  it  off,  and  the  third  for  letting  out  the  steam.  The 
first  two  are  closed  by  screw  r>lugs,  but  the  other  is  always 
open,  and  is  connected  to  a  system  of  tubes  (one  sliding  and 

(73) 


74 

one  stationary)  which  permits  the  steam  to  escape,  but  not 
the  water.  The  barrel  is  surrounded  by  a  strong  spiral  spring 
which  rests  between  the  barrel  nut  and  a  seat  in  the  middle 
of  the  water  jacket. 

The  gun  is  supplied  with  cartridges  from  a  belt  which 
passes  through  the  feed  block  on  the  top  of  the  gun  from  right 
to  left.  On  the  right-hand  side  of  the  pistol  grip  is  a  safety 
catch,  which  prevents  the  trigger  being  pulled  when  the  indi- 
cator is  in  its  highest  position.  This  catch  has  two  other 
positions,  in  one  of  which  the  piece  can  be  used  only  as  a 
single  action  R.  F.  G.,  while  the  third  position  is  for  the 
automatic  action. 

Upon  firing,  the  barrel,  with  the  recoil  plates  and  mechan- 
ism, and  the  spiral  spring  surrounding  the  barrel  is  com- 
pressed. During  the  recoil,  the  crank  handle  is  in  contact 
with  the  roller,  and  the  curve  of  the  crank  handle  is  so  con- 
structed that  it  is  thrown  over  far  enough  to  bring  the 
mechanism  back  sufficiently  far  to  extract  the  empty  case 
from  the  barrel  and  a  fresh  cartridge  from  the  belt.  After 
this  the  volute  spring,  which  has  been  compressed  by  the 
recoil,  closes  the  mechanism. 

To  insure  the  breech  being  closed  before  the  firing  pin  is 
released,  there  is  a  safety  sear,  which,  as  the  firing  pin  is  drawn 
back  by  the  action  of  the  tumbler,  engages  with  a  projection 
on  the  upper  part  of  the  firing  pin,  so  that  the  latter  can  not 
move  forward  until  the  sear  is  raised. 

Weight  of  gun  complete .  610  pounds. 

Weight  of  gun,  water  jacket  filled 640  pounds. 

Weight  of  recoil  portion 280  pounds. 

Weight  of  nonrecoil  portion 330  pounds. 

Diameter  of  bore r 1.457  inches  (37  mm.). 

Diameter  of  chamber,  front  end 1.5  inches. 

Diameter  of  chamber,  rear  end 1.61  inches. 

Number  of  grooves 12. 

Width  of  grooves 0.322. 

Width  of  lands _. 0.06. 

Depth  of  grooves _ 0.0155. 

Angle  of  sight  bar 2°  20'. 

Bate  of  fire 200  per  minute. 

Recoil.. 2£  inches. 


"UNIVERSITY 

75 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  Of  what  two  general  parts  does  the  gun  consist  ? 

2.  What  parts  compose  the  recoiling  portion  ? 

3.  What  parts  compose  the  nonrecoiling  portion  ? 

4.  Where  is  the  barrel  spring,  and  what  is  its  purpose  ? 

5.  Where  is  the  volute  spring,  and  what  is  its  purpose  ? 

6.  Show  the  three  openings  in  the  water  jacket.     What  are 

they  for  ? 

7.  How  many  cartridges  are  held  in  a  belt  ? 

8.  In  what  positions  can  the  safety  catch  be  placed  ? 

9.  Describe  the  action  of  the  mechanism. 

10.  Can  a  cartridge  be  fired  before  the  lock  is  closed  ? 

11.  How  many  grooves  are  there  ? 

12.  What  is  the  rate  of  fire  ? 

13.  How  far  does  the  gun  recoil  ? 


No.  30. 

MAGAZINES  AND  SHELL  ROOMS. 


Preparation. — Read  Ingersoll's  ' '  Text-book  of  Ordnance  and 
Gunnery  "  (1899),  pages  248  to  254.  Take  the  class  on  board 
the  station  ship,  so  that  they  can  be  shown  where  the  maga- 
zines are  located. 

Instruction. — All  ammunition  is  stowed  in  specially  con- 
structed rooms,  set  apart  for  that  purpose  alone,  and  distin- 
guished generally  in  name  by  the  kind  of  ammunition  stowed 
in  each.  Powder  charges  in  cases,  and  shell  charges  for  un- 
loaded shell,  are  stowed  in  magazines.  The  heavier  kinds  of 
fixed  ammunition  are  also  stowed  in  magazines  separate  from 
powder  in  cases. 

All  loaded  shells  are  stowed  in  shell  rooms,  ammunition 
for  minor  caliber  rapid-fire  guns,  and  for  small  arms  and 
machine  guns  in  fixed  ammunition  rooms,  and  wet  gun 
cotton  in  the  gun-cotton  room. 

These  rooms  are  placed  below  the  protective  deck  and  well 
below  the  water  line,  and  are  connected  by  water-tight  doors 
with  a  handling  room  from  which  the  charges  and  shell  are 
hoisted  to  the  guns. 

All  ammunition  rooms  are  water-tight  and  are  floored  with 
wooden  gratings. 

In  the  magazines  wooden  racks  or  bins  are  constructed, 
separated  by  alleys,  in  which  the  powder  cases  and  fixed " 
ammunition  boxes  are  stowed. 

Flooding  and  Draining. — Magazines,  shell  rooms,  and  am- 
munition rooms  are  provided  with  flood  cocks,  usually  one  to 
each  room,  and  with  overflow  pipes  to  carry  off  surplus  water, 
and  with  drainage  cocks  at  the  bottom  of  the  magazines  to 
empty  them  of  water  after  having  been  flooded. 

Both  flood  and  drainage  cocks  are  fitted  to  be  turned  on  the 
berth  deck,  each  having  a  lever  fitted  to  its  spindle  for  the 
purpose,  distinctly  marked,  and  kept  secured  by  a  lock,  the 
key  of  which  is  kept  among  those  of  the  magazines. 

(77) 


78 

Lighting.— Magazines  and  other  rooms  for  ammunition  are 
lighted  by  regulation  lamps  or  electric  lights  in  light  boxes, 
so  placed  that  light  will  be  thrown  in  each  alley  of  the  rooms. 
Light  boxes  are  separate  compartments  from  these  rooms  and 
are  opened  from  the  deck  or  flat  above  the  rooms.  They  are 
lined  internally  with  soldered  sheets  of  copper,  and  have  a 
few  inches  of  water  in  the  bottom  whenever  the  light  is 
lighted.  The  glazing  on  the  sides  toward  the  magazines  is 
double,  the  thick  plates  of  glass  being  somewhat  separated 
from  each  other,  one  of  which  is  fixed  and  the  other  move- 
able,  to  facilitate  cleaning. 

The  powder  tanks  are  made  of  copper  and  the  6-inch  and 
8-inch  tanks  have  rubber  gaskets  under  the  lids,  the  lid  being 
sealed  by  setting  up  the  handle. 

Fixed  ammunition  is  put  up  in  wooden  boxes.  These  boxes 
are  painted  as  follows,  in  order  to  distinguish  the  different 
kinds  of  projectiles : 

Armor  piercing All  black. 

Steel,  common All  lead  color. 

Cast  iron,  common All  red. 

Shrapnel .  _  All  white. 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  What  is  the  use  of  magazines  ? 

2.  What  is  the  use  of  shell  rooms  ? 

3.  What  is  the  use  of  fixed  ammunition  rooms  ? 

4.  What  is  the  use  of  gun-cotton  rooms  ? 

5.  Where  are  the  rooms  located  ? 

6.  Is  the  ammunition  passed  directly  from  the  magazines  to 

the  guns  ? 

7.  How  are  the  magazines  flooded  v 

8.  How  are  powder  charges  stowed  ? 

9.  What  arrangements  are  provided  for  flooding  and  draining 

the  magazines  ? 

10.  Where  are  the  flood-cock  keys  kept  ? 

11.  How  are  magazines  lighted  ? 

12.  Are  the  light  boxes  placed  in  the  magazines  ? 

13.  How  are  light  boxes  lined  ? 

14.  Of  what  material  are  powder  tanks  made  ? 

15.  How  is  fixed  ammunition  stowed  ? 

16.  How  are  the  boxes  marked  V 


Xo.  31. 

COLT  AUTOMATIC  6-MM.  GUN. 


Preparation. — Read  Radford's  "Handbook  on  Naval  Gun- 
nery," pages  257  to  259,  also  the  Department  pamphlet  on  the 
gun.  Have  the  Colt  gun  with  skeleton  frame  ready  for  use, 
and  the  spare  article  and  accessory  boxes  at  hand. 

Instruction. — This  gun  is  of  6-mm.  caliber  and  is  self -oper- 
ating after  the  first  shot  is  fired.  The  gas  generated  by  the 
explosion  of  the  powder,  after  being  used  to  force  the  bullet 
nearly  through  the  bore  of  the  gun,  passes  through  a  small 
vent,  and  automatically  operates  the  mechanism,  which 
extracts,  loads,  fires,  and  ejects  the  empty  case. 

The  gun  consists  of  a  single  barrel,  screwed  into  a  receiver. 
The  receiver  holds  the  mechanism,  and  is  cased  by  sides  and 
bottom  plates.  The  first  shot  having  been  fired,  the  gas 
passing  through  the  vent,  strikes  a  small  piston  which  is  in  a 
gas  cylinder  that  embraces  the  barrel.  The  piston  and  gas  lever, 
to  which  it  is  secured,  are  thrown  downward,  and  describe  an 
arc  until  stopped  by  coming  in  contact  with  the  bottom  plate. 
Retracting  springs  in  tubes  return  into  position  the  gas 
lever  and  piston.  By  means  of  connections  the  motion  of  the 
gas  lever  is  transmitted  to  the  slide  in  the  receiver  and  causes 
the  slide  to  have  a  fore-and-aft  motion,  and  this  gives  the 
necessary  motion  to  the  mechanism,  which  can  be  seen 
through  the  skeleton  frame.  A  safety  device  allows  of 
restraining  the  hammer  and  keeping  the  mechanism  locked. 
The  spring  dog  which  controls  the  direction  in  which  the  feed 
wheel  rotates  can  be  thrown  out  of  action  by  means  of  a 
knurled  button  on  the  side  of  the  receiver,  which  permits  of 
reversing  the  feed  wheel  and  withdrawing  the  feed  belt  when 
necessary. 

The  front  sight  is  a  plain  leaf  similar  to  that  on  the  small 
arm.  The  rear  sight  is  a  folding  leaf,  marked  up  to  an 

(79) 


80 


extreme  range  of  2,000  yards.  The  gun  should  be  sighte* 
with  a  medium  sight.  The  life  of  a  barrel  is  about  9,00 
rounds. 

The  gun,  as  furnished  to  the  service,  is  seated  in  a  saddle 
which  may  be  mounted  on  a  tripod  or  on  a  1 -pounder  cagt 
stand,  with  adapter.     The  ammunition  is  carried  in  belt*1; 
containing  250  cartridges. 

The  rate  of  fire  is  fixed  at  a  medium  of  400  shots  per  minute. 

The  instructor  will  explain  what  is  to  be  done  in  case  of 
"hang  fires"  and  "miss  fires." 

With  each  gun  is  issued  a  spare  barrel,  which  has  been 
carefully  fitted  to  the  receiver  and  given  the  same  number  as 
the  gun  to  which  it  belongs. 

QUESTIONS. 

1.  What  is  the  caliber  of  this  gun  ? 

2.  What  force  is  used  to  operate  the  mechanism  ? 

3.  What  are  the  two  principal  parts  of  the  piece  ? 

4.  What  does  the  receiver  contain  ? 

5.  Explain  the  safety  device. 

6.  How  can  the  belt  be  withdrawn '! 

7.  What  kind  of  sights  are  used  ? 

8.  How  is  the  gun  mounted  ? 

9.  What  is  the  rate  of  fire  ? 

10.  How  many  cartridges  are  contained  in  each  belt  ? 

11.  What  should  be  done  in  case  a  cartridge  hangs  fire  i 


No.  22. 

3-INCH  RAPID-FIRE  FIELD  GUN. 


Preparation. — Read  Department's  pamphlet  "Description 
of  Fletcher  Rapid-Fire  Breech  Mechanism."  See  that  the 
3-inch  guns  are  ready  for  use  and  that  the  accessory  and  spare 
part  boxes  are  at  hand. 

Instruction.— The  3-inch  gun  constructed  for  landing  pur- 
poses is  a  rapid-fire  gun  with  Fletcher  breech  mechanism,  and 
using  fixed  ammunition. 

The  breech  mechanism  differs  from  that  fitted  to  larger  guns 
in  having  a  special  percussion  firing  attachment  which  holds 
the  lever  fast  to  the  breech  when  the  plug  is  closed,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  pull  on  the  firing  lanyard  from  starting  the  plug 
open.  The  type  of  firing  attachment  in  which  the  firing-pin  is 
pulled  back  by  the  lanyard  and  snaps  off  automatically  when 
it  reaches  the  full-cock  position,  is,  of  course,  only  applicable 
to  guns  used  on  shore,  where  there  is  no  movement  of  the  gun 
platform,  and  where  it  is  not  important  to  minimize  the  inter- 
val from  the  pull  of  the  lanyard  to  the  explosion  of  the  charge. 

The  ammunition  of  the  3-inch  field  gun  consists  of  a  short 
brass  case,  primed  with  the  same  primers  as  are  used  in  the 
1,  3,  and  6  pounder  cases,  and  of  a  shrapnel  with  combination 
time  and  percussion  fuse.  The  charge  is  about  400  grains  of 
smokeless  powder,  giving  a  muzzle  velocity  of  about  l,2oO 
foot-seconds.  The  shrapnel  weighs  13±  pounds  when  loaded 
and  fused.  Shrapnel  is  the  only  projectile  supplied  for  the 
field  gun.  On  shore  the  percussion  action  gives  fairly  good 
results.  When  shrapnel  is  used  for  battering  purposes,  the 
fuses  should  either  not  be  cut  or  should  be  set  at  the  safety 
mark. 

The  3-inch  ammunition  is  stowed  on  board  ship  in  boxes 
containing  17  rounds  each.  Thirty-two  rounds  are  carried  on 
the  field  carriage,  in  four  boxes,  two  on  a  side. 

The  weight  of  the  3-inch  gun,  including  the  field-recoil 
cylinder  which  surrounds  it,  is  530  pounds. 

8972— r,  ( 81 ) 


82 


QUESTIONS. 

1.  What  breech  mechanism  has  the  3-inch  field  gun? 

2.  How  does  it  differ  from  the  mechanism  of  the  larger 

calibers  ? 

3.  Describe  the  action  of  the  firing  attachment. 

4.  Can  this  gun  be  used  on  board  ship  ? 

5.  Describe  the  ammunition  used. 

6.  What  kind  of  projectile  is  used  ? 

7.  What  is  the  muzzle  velocity. 

8.  What  does  the  projectile  weigh  ? 

9.  How  is  the  ammunition  stowed  on  board  ship  ? 

10.  How  many  rounds  are  carried  on  the  field  carriage  ? 

11.  What  is  the  weight  of  the  gun  ? 


Xo.  23. 


HEMORRHAGE  AND  THE  APPLICATION  OF  THE  TOURNIQUET, 

(Bleeding  and  the  control  thereof.) 


The  term  "hemorrhage"  is  applied  to  a  flow  of  blood  from 
any  part  of  the  vascular  system,  with  or  without  rupture  of 
the  vessels,  but  here  we  have  to  deal  expressly  with  bleeding 
from  ruptured  wounds,  generally  incident  to  rifle  ball  or  cut 
by  bayonet  thrust. 

The  most  serious  bleeding  which  we  have  to  consider  comes 
from  the  rupture  or  division  of  one  of  the  large  trunk  blood 
vessels  like  one  of  the  large  arteries  or  veins,  and  to  stop  this 
dangerous  loss  of  blood  the  vessel  should  be  compressed  in 
its  course ;  in  trying  to  find  the  course  of  an  artery  we  will 
remember  that  all  large  vessels  lie  on  the  inner  side  of  the 
extremities,  that  is,  the  main  artery  of  the  arm  will  be  found 
on  the  inner  surface  of  the  arm  from  the  armpit  to  the  elbow, 
and  the  main  artery  for  the  lower  extremities  on  the  inner 
side  of  the  thigh,  and  that  it  is  always  best  to  make  the  pres- 
sure over  the  main  trunk  of  the  vessel. 

The  principal  hemorrhages  are  divided  into  two  classes, 
known  as  arterial  and  venous.  Arterial  hemorrhage  is  often 
attended  with  serious  consequences  and  is  readily  recognized ; 
the  blood  is  of  bright  scarlet  color,  and  is  forced  out  in  suc- 
cessive spurts,  each  spurt  regular  with  the  movements  of  the 
heart.  This  characteristic  spurting  is  caused  by  the  inter- 
mittent force-pump  action  of  the  heart  driving  out  the  blood 
into  the  vessels.  Venous  hemorrhage  is  distinguished  from 
arterial  by  the  dark-blue  color  of  its  blood,  which  never 
comes  in  intermittent  spurts,  but  oozes  from  the  wounded 
surface.  Venous  blood  is  travelling  toward  the  heart,  and 
there  is  consequently  no  force  behind  to  cause  a  more  rapid 
flow.  This  form  of  hemorrhage  is  comparatively  harmless, 
unless  occurring  from  very  large  veins. 

(83) 


Of  all  the  methods  for  the  control  of  hemorrhage  there  is 
none  more  efficient  or  available  than  pressure,  and  the  easiest 
way  of  securing  this  is  generally  by  means  of  what  is  called 
a  field  tourniquet  which  is  applied  in  the  following  manner : 
A  handkerchief  is  passed  loosely  around  the  limb  above  the 
wound,  and  its  ends  fastened  together;  a  small  block  of 
wood,  a  folded  towel,  or  any  substance  from  which  a  firm 
pad  may  be  extemporized,  is  placed  over  the  artery  and  under 
the  handkerchief  encircling  the  limb ;  a  stick  measuring  five 
or  six  inches  in  length  is  then  passed  under  the  handkerchief 
at  right  angles,  and  twisted  around  until  the  pad  compresses 
the  artery  firmly ;  turning  the  stick  draws  the  handkerchief 
very  tightly  around  the  limb  and  over  the  artery,  so  that  it 
is  thoroughly  secured. 

Bleeding  from  the  upper  extremity  at  any  point  below  the 
armpit  may  be  temporarily  suppressed  by  placing  a  piece  of 
wood  an  inch  and  a  half  to  two  inches  long  and  the  same 
thickness  under  the  arm  well  up  into  the  armpit,  at  right 
angles  to  the  body,  and  then  pressing  the  arm  firmly  against 
the  chest  wall,  or  by  pressing  the  artery  firmly  with  the 
fingers  against  the  long  bone  running  from  the  shoulder  to 
the  elbow.  When  the  wound  is  situated  below  the  kneejoint 
the  bleeding  may  be  diminished  by  raising  the  limb  and 
placing  it  on  the  back  of  a  chair  so  that  the  pressure  will  be 
made  in  the  space  back  of  the  knee ;  the  weight  of  the  limb 
is  generally  sufficient  to  close  the  artery  in  this  locality  but 
in  some  cases  it  may  be  necessary  to  fold  a  towel  and  place  it 
behind  the  knee  between  the  chair  and  the  limb.  In  wounds 
of  the  palm  of  the  hand  it  will  be  expedient  to  pad  or  com- 
press it  in  the  opening,  filling  up  the  entire  hollow  of  the 
palm,  and  bandage  firmly. 


No.  24. 

PROTECTION  OF  SHIPS. 


Preparation. —Read  Ingersoll's  "Text-book  of  Ordnance 
and  Gunnery,"  (1899),  pages  255  to 274;  also  Radford's  "Hand- 
book on  Naval  Gunnery,"  pages  207  to  213. 

Instruction. — This  period  is  not  intended  as  a  detailed 
description  of  all  kinds  of  armor,  but  simply  to  give  the 
apprentices  a  general  idea  of  what  is  meant  by  the  various 
terms  armor  plates,  belts  of  water  excluding  material,  gun 
shields,  armored  conning  towers  and  coal  protection. 

All  vessels  of  the  United  States  Navy  which  carry  armor 
use  steel  armor  with  the  exception  of  the  Miantonomah, 
which  has  compound  armor. 

Nickel-steel  armor  is  an  alloy  of  steel  with  about  5  per  cent 
of  nickel.  This  produces  a  metal  of  great  ductility  and  tough- 
ness with  extraordinary  resistance  to  cracking. 

Most  of  the  armor  now  in  use  has  been  treated  with  a  Har- 
vey process,  which  hardens  the  face  of  the  plate.  The  latest 
process  is  called  the  Krupp  process,  and  is  a  secret.  The  rights 
of  this  process  have  been  purchased  by  the  Bethlehem  Iron 
Company  and  the  Carnegie  Steel  Company.  The  Krupp  armor 
is  guaranteed  to  have  25  per  cent  greater  efficiency  than  the 
Harvey  plates. 

Corn-pith  cellulose  is  used  for  water-excluding  belts  near 
the  water  line,  but  this  is  not  fitted  to  all  vessels. 

Good  protection  against  the  fire  of  medium  caliber  guns  has 
been  obtained  for  the  engines  and  boilers  by  placing  loose  coal 
in  bunkers  outboard  and  above  the  protective  deck.  Two 
feet  of  coal  is  equivalent  to  about  1  inch  of  iron. 

Splinter  bulkheads  are  fitted  between  the  guns  of  the  broad- 
side battery  of  some  battle  ships. 

All  ships  are  divided  into  numerous  water-tight  compart- 
ments, which  would  limit  the  area  flooded  in  case  the  vessel's 
side  is  penetrated. 

(85) 


The  periods  allotted  to  this  department  during  each  week 
are  as  follows : 


First  period. 

Second  period. 

Third  period. 

Fourth  period. 

Monday  

Third  class 

First  cla^s 

Second  cla-^ 

Tuesday 

Third  class 

First  class 

Wednesday     __ 

Second  class 

First  class 

Third  class. 

Thursday 

First  class 

Second  class 

Friday  __  . 

Third  class 

First  class. 

The  following  is  the  schedule  of  instruction,  the  numbers 
referring  to  the  various  periods : 


Schedule  of  Instruction, 


First  division 1 

Second  division 1 

Third  division 1 

Fourth  division ._  1 


5  6 
5  6 
5  6 


8  9  10  11  12 

8  9  10  11  12 

8  9  10  11  12 

8  9  10  11  12 


First  division 12  13  14  15  16  37  18  14  19  19  20  21 

Second  division 12  13  14  15  16  17  18  14  19  19  20  21 

Third  division 12  13  14  15  16  17  18  14  19  19  20  21 

Fourth  division 12  13  14  15  16  17  18  14  19  19  20  21 

First  division 21  22  14  13  23  24"  10  12  13  14  16  20 

Second  division 21  22  14  13  23  24  10  12  13  14  1C,  20 

Third  division 21  22  14  13  23  24  10  12  13  14  1C  20 

Fourth  division 21  22  14  13  23  24  10  12  13  14  16  20 

An  accurate  record,  showing  each  period  which  each  divi- 
sion has  finished,  shall  be  kept,  and  the  instruction  must  pro- 
ceed according  to  the  schedule.  If  for  any  reason  a  division 
is  absent  from  gunnery  instruction  on  the  day  they  should 
have  have  had,  say  period  18,  they  must  have  that  period  at 
the  next  instruction,  and  not  period  19  until  No.  18  has  been 
finished. 

The  instruction  for  the  second  three  months  will  be  a  repe- 
tition of  the  above  schedule,  with  such  advanced  details  as 
the  head  of  the  department  may  direct. 


TARGET  PRACTICE. 


Preliminary. — As  soon  as  apprentices  have  been  thoroughly 
instructed  in  the  mechanism  of  the  service  rifle,  its  care  and 
preservation,  they  will  be  instructed  in  the  use  of  the  sights 
and  given  the  sighting  and  position  drills. 

These  drills  must  be  thorough  in  every  detail,  and  the  ap- 
prentices must  understand  what  is  required  at  target  prac- 
tices, so  that  the  rifle  and  revolver  practice  with  cartridges 
may  be  carried  on  without  any  delay  or  unnecessary  expendi- 
ture of  ammunition. 

GALLERY  TARGET  PRACTICE. 

This  follows  the  preliminary  instruction,  and  is  intended  to 
give  the  apprentices  an  idea  of  target  practice  and  to  over- 
come the  tendency  to  flinch  when  pulling  the  trigger  before 
going  to  the  rifle  range.  There  is  no  allowance  of  ammuni- 
tion for  gallery  practice,  and  the  boys  will  fire  in  turn  until 
they  score  12  out  of  25.  Apprentices  making  low  scores  will 
be  carefully  questioned  to  ascertain  if  they  understand  the 
use  of  the  sights. 

RIFLE  TARGET  PRACTICE. 

Practice  at  the  rifle  range  will  begin  as  soon  as  the  boys 
"qualify"  at  the  gallery  practice.  The  preliminary  rifle 
practice  will  consist  of  five  shots  at  each  range  (100,  200,  and 
300  yards)  in  one  day,  if  practicable.  Each  shot  will  be;  marked 
as  soon  as  fired,  and  the  probable  cause  of  errors  explained. 

As  soon  as  a  class  has  finished  the  preliminary  firing  the 
record  practice  will  begin.  The  record  rifle  practice  will  con- 
sist of  a  string  of  five  shots  at  each  range,  fired  within  a  period 
of  two  minutes,  for  each  boy.  At  the  100  and  200  yard  ranges, 
no  artificial  rest  will  be  allowed ;  at  300  yards  an  artificial 
rest  may  be  used. 

(87) 


88 


Revolver  target  practice  will  be  held  by  classes  in  connec- 
tion with  the  rifle  practice.  The  preliminary  revolver  prac- 
tice will  consist  of  six  shots  at  each  range  (20,  30,  and  40 
yards) ,  each  shot  being  marked  as  soon  as  fired,  and  the  prob- 
able cause  of  errors  explained. 

When  a  class  has  finished  with  the  preliminary  revolver 
firing,  the  record  practice  will  begin.  The  record  revolver 
practice  will  consist  of  a  string  of  six  shots  each  quarter  at 
30  yards'  range,  without  artificial  rest,  to  be  fired  within  one 
and  one-half  minutes. 

The  targets  used  at  all  the  firings,  both  with  rifle  and 
revolver,  will  be  the  "Army  A  Target."  For  gallery  practice 
a  target  one-sixth  the  size  of  the  "A"  target  will  be  used. 

Prizes  for  record  target  practice. 


Mark  on  the  enlist- 
ment record. 

Qualifies  as  marks- 
man. 

Combined  score,  rifle 
and  revolver. 

Prixe. 

5  0 

-First  class 

80 

?1  5C 

4  5 

Second  class 

65            

1.00 

4  0 

Third  class 

50 

.  :.i  i 

3  5 

Fourth  class 

35                      

None. 

Not  qualified 

Below  35 

None. 

The  apprentice  having  the  highest  score  each  quarter  will 
be  paid  $1  additional  in  prize  money,  if  he  has  qualified  as  a 
first-class  marksman. 

Each  quarter  the  five  apprentices  having  the  highest  scores 
for  record  firing  will  compete  at  one  time  for  the  marksman- 
ship medal.  But  the  original  record  firing  scores  will  be  the 
ones  used  in  paying  the  regular  prize  money  and  for  entering 
the  marks  on  these  apprentices'  enlistment  records. 

No  boy  shall  receive  more  than  one  marksmanship  medal 
while  at  the  station. 

Boys  who  have  qualified  as  first  and  second  marksmen  will 
be  given  an  opportunity  to  practice  at  trap  shooting,  when 
practicable. 

TARGET  RANGE  REGULATIONS,  180JJ. 

The  master-at-arnis  of  the  range  is  to  have  charge  of  the 
firing  party  and  keep  the  score. 


89 

He  is  to  detail  two  of  the  party  at  a  time  to  go  inside  the 
shelter  as  markers. 

A  bugler  is  to  accompany  the  firing  party. 

The  call  "Commence  firing"  is  the  notice  to  those  posted 
inside  the  shelter  that  the  firing  is  about  to  begin. 

The  call  "Cease  firing"  is  the  notice  to  those  posted  inside 
the  shelter  that  all  danger  is  over  and  that  they  can  with 
safety  come  out. 

If  at  any  time  during  target  practice  "Cease  firing"  is 
sounded,  the  danger  signal  is  to  be  at  once  shown  above  the 
the  shelter,  and  kept  up  until  the  markers  are  again  inside 
the  shelter  and  have  assured  themselves  that  the  doors  to  the 
shelter  are  properly  closed  and  fastened. 

"Commence  firing"  must  never  be  sounded  while  the 
danger  signal  is  in  sight. 

At  any  time  when  the  danger  signal  is  shown  from  inside 
the  shelter  the  firing  is  to  be  stopped,  and  when  stopped  the 
bugle  will  sound  "Cease  firing."  The  markers  inside  the 
shelter  are  on  no  account  to  open  the  doors  until  this  call  has 
has  been  sounded. 

SCORE. 

As  each  shot  is  fired  a  marker  will  signal  (being  careful  to 
place  the  center  of  the  disk  over  the  shot  hole)  the  result  of 
the  shot  to  the  firing  party,  as  follows: 

If  a  bull's-eye,  with  a  white  disk,  which  scores  5. 

If  a  center,  with  a  red  disk,  which  scores  4. 

If  an  inner,  with  a  black  and  white  disk,  which  scores  3. 

If  an  outer,  with  a  black  disk,  which  scores  2. 

If  a  ricochet,  by  waving  a  disk  up  and  down  over  the  face 
of  the  target,  and  it  will  be  scored  "R,"  but  will  be  consid- 
ered a  zero  in  adding  up  the  score. 

If  a  miss,  by  waving  a  disk  over  the  top  of  the  shelter, 
which  scores  0. 

Shots  striking  the  rings  and  ovals  marking  the  divisions  on 
target  shall  be  credited  to  the  higher  score. 

When  the  designated  number  of  shots  have  been  fired  at 
one  target,  the  other  target  will  be  shown,  and  the  first  will 
be  repaired  by  placing  the  pasters  over  the  shot  holes. 


90 


The  record  of  the  boys'  target  practice  is  kept  on  the  fol- 
lowing forms : 


m 

H  2    8 

H  a    5 

§  §   S 
<3   «    e> 

H   *     * 


. 


pjooei  no  Jijujq; 


OLVER  TARGET  PRA 

PRELIMINARY. 


04 


eo    I 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THEjFOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH 
OVERDUE. 


DAY 


SEH  21  1940 


?52$t 


use 


APR    519B? 


nA          T   'OO  1  Af\<>K\ 


